


Voices In My Head

by Spooked101



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2018-12-24 14:01:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12014274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spooked101/pseuds/Spooked101
Summary: Saeran Choi and his brother live together until Saeran goes to move in with MC. Saeran is plagued with the voice of his abusive mother though, and can't seem to find release from it. MC and the broken boy become close friends, but disaster soon struck.





	1. Nightmares

_When you think of your past, do you remember the sweets or the pain… Saeran…_

            Saeran jolted awake from the voice in his head. He ran his shaking hand through his hair and shivered. He was drenched in a cold sweat; the nightmare of his past was coming back more often now which meant that his sleep schedule was all sorts of fucked up. He grabbed his phone and checked the time. It was 4 o’clock in the morning, the nightmares always woke him up around this time. Saeran shrugged his blanket off and got out of bed, lightly hissing at how cold the floor was under his feet. He quietly walked out of his bedroom and to the kitchen. He shared his brother’s house with him, so the quick typing from the computer section of the living room was a normal sound for him to hear. Not paying attention, he stepped on a discarded chip bag, alerting his brother that he was awake. “Awake again?” His twin grunted from the computers. “Yeah. Not like it would matter to you anyways, you are constantly watching me even when you work, so you always know what I’m doing.” Saeran snapped. It was too early in the morning for his twin brother to start nagging him. His brother was silent, continuing to type like his life depended on it.

            Saeran went to the fridge and searched around for something to snack on. Eventually he found an orange, so he quickly grabbed it and started peeling it. His phone chimed softly from his pants pocket. Saeran set down the fruit and checked the notification. It was from that girl, MC, that he led to Rika’s old apartment.

_MC: Hey are you still going to meet up with me today? I’ve been craving something sweet all week. RFA work has been hell._

_Saeran: Yeah, when do you want to meet up? Saeyoung has been watching me like a hawk lately so try to make it soon._

Saeran gave a slight smile to the phone. MC and Saeran weren’t friends, she was still upset with him about the whole RFA hacking thing and hacking the security system for the apartment. She was civil with him, so meeting up with her on the weekends was the least he could do to apologize. His phone chimed again with another message from the girl.

_MC: How about 11am? I have some e-mails to go over and Jaehee needed help in her coffee shop. Eleven is the earliest I’m free. That works, right?_

_Saeran: Yeah that works. See you then. Get some shut eye, its damn near four thirty in the morning._

_MC: Will do Unknown, you get some rest too._

Saeran winced at the “Unknown” nickname. Although it was what she first met him as, he was trying to let go of that portion of his life as much as possible. The only things that remained from that time is his hair, still dyed white with pink tips, the Mint Eye tattoo on his arm, his choker, his usual red tank-top and black jacket combo, and the mint colored contacts he wore. Saeran grabbed his orange again and ate it, he could feel Saeyoung’s eyes on him as he ate. The white-haired boy sighed and grabbed a glass of water to take back to his bedroom. “I’m going back to my room Saeyoung, don’t continue to watch me. I’m not helpless.” Saeran grumbled at the redhead as he went back to his room. “Don’t call me Saeyoung. It’s Seven.” His brother snapped before continuing his work. Saeran shook his head and slammed the door shut.

            It had been months since he got to Saeyoung’s house. They were civil with each other but the abandonment Saeran felt wouldn’t go away, no matter how much his brother tried to convince him otherwise. Saeran had tried to die to erase the pain, but Saeyoung stopped him. Saeran then tried to kill his brother, like Mint Eye had almost conditioned his brain to want to do. Mint Eye had given him so many drugs that when he had stopped taking them, he had a mental breakdown. In his first month of living at his brother’s house, he had destroyed things, he had cried more than he wanted to, and he was put into the RFA. He met all the members correctly, though most of them still hated him, they learned to tolerate his presence in the organization.

            The second month of living at Saeyoung’s house was where it went downhill. Saeran was feeling worse from not getting dosed with the Mint Eye drugs, his body still craved them, just to numb his thoughts and hurts from the past. Unable to find something resembling what they had given him, Saeran turned to self-harm. He had broken a glass one day and the sharpest piece was almost begging to be used. So, he did, he used it for a good two weeks before the blood stains on his sheets and the inside of the arms in his jacket got suspicious to Saeyoung. His brother had caught him in the act, and that’s what led to the constant watching. Even two months after that incident Saeyoung still watched Saeran like a hawk. His arms were littered with scars, like the rest of his body.

            Saeran snapped out of his thoughts and gulped down some water. He wasn’t proud of hurting himself, in fact, he was ashamed. The boy sat on his bed and held his head in his hands. The nightmare of his mother hurting him wouldn’t go away, even when he was awake. The only time he felt relief from them was when MC got ice cream with him. Saeyoung had done it with him when they were children, so doing it with MC was just another way for him to cling to the past. Saeran laid down and pulled the blanket over his head. There had to be someway other than seeing a doctor to deal with these nightmares. His mother’s voice haunted his dreams, he could never escape. Saeran squeezed his eyes shut and tried to calm himself down. _Hold onto that one good memory. The ice cream with Saeyoung. MC will make these monsters go away later. Just a few more hours._ Saeran chanted this until he slowly drifted to sleep.

_No matter how many times you push me away, I’ll always be in the back of your mind Saeran…_

 

 


	2. Ice Cream Breakdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saeran has a mental breakdown while going to get ice cream with MC, causing them to bond more.

Voices In My Head

 

            His phone was ringing loudly, which slowly drew him out of the somewhat peaceful sleep he was having. Saeran groaned and answered the ringing device. “Saeran hey.” A female voice muttered over the speaker. “Ah hey... I’m not late, am I?” The boy said groggily. “No, I’m early. Helping Jaehee was faster than expected so, I’m just walking around the park. I honestly wasn’t sure if you forgot or not so I was partially calling to remind you.” MC explained as Saeran sat up and ruffled his hair. “I’ll be there soon. I’m gonna get ready and try to get out of the house without being interrogated by Saeyoung… I mean ‘Seven’.” Saeran made quotation marks in the air when he said the name that his brother gave himself. “Alright. See you there.” MC said before she hung up.    

            Saeran stretched and got out of bed, grabbing his shirt, pants, and jacket before heading to the bathroom to shower. He could feel Saeyoung’s eyes on him as he walked to the bathroom. “You don’t have to stalk me _brother_.” Saeran glared at the redhead before swiftly entering and locking the bathroom. Sometimes he felt bad for being such a dick to Saeyoung but, after years of thinking that he had died or abandoned him, it’s hard to snap back to how they were as kids. Saeran quickly showered and got dressed before going back to his room to grab his shoes. He stared at himself in the mirror, focusing on the tattoo on his arm then staring into his own minty eyes. It was hard to believe that he was actually here and not back at Mint Eye some days. He shook his head and walked out of his room.

            “I’m going out.  Don’t hack into cameras to watch me.” Saeran muttered as he passed his brother. Saeyoung suddenly stood up and went to stand in front of him. “Where are you going?” The redhead said sharply. “I’m going to go stand in the street and wait for a car to run me over.” Saeran said sarcastically while glaring at his twin. Saeyoung looked shocked for a brief second before he glared back at Saeran. “You wouldn’t do that. Don’t you have a date with MC?” He muttered, his voice dripping jealousy. “It’s not a date Saeyoung. I’m just meeting up with her to get out of this damned house!” Saeran was quickly losing his temper. He couldn’t leave the house without being questioned, it was quickly getting ridiculous. His brother shook his head and walked back to his computers. “I can’t stop you. You never listen to me anyways.” Saeyoung muttered just loud enough for Saeran to hear. Saeran clenched his hands into fists and glared holes into his brother’s back. “Maybe I would start listening to you if you didn’t treat me like some sick person all the time! I haven’t cut in two months and yet you treat me like I’m on the edge of death every day! I’m fucking sick of it!” Saeran shouted at his twin. He didn’t wait for a response before he ran out of the house. Saeran slammed the door and sank down to his knees. His eyes stung with tears that refused to fall. Saeran pulled out his phone and dialed MC’s number. “Hello? Saeran?” Her voice was loud in his ear. “MC… can you come pick me up? Please?” His voice cracked as he let out a sob. “I’m on my way. Meet me at the end of Saeyoung’s road.” She said before she hung up the phone. Saeran stood up and starting walking to the end of the road.

            Ten minutes later, MC pulled up next to Saeran. “Hey… MC, sorry for making you do this.” The white-haired boy muttered. She shrugged and motioned for him to get in the car. He got in and put the seatbelt on. “What happened?” She asked. Saeran looked down and played with the end of his jacket. “I yelled at Saeyoung after he questioned me about going out.” He said softly. The girl gave a small, comforting smile as she placed a hand on his shoulder. The boy looked at her and tried to smile back. He could feel tears pricking his eyes again and he quickly turned away, shrugging her hand off.

_She only wants to hurt you. Couldn’t you tell by how she touched you?_

            Saeran tried to curl up into a ball as MC drove. She couldn’t pay attention to him breaking down, she was driving. Saeran let out a strangled sob as the memories of his mother’s abuse assaulted his mind. “Saeran? Are you alright?” MC asked, concerned for the boy next to her. Saeran held his hand out to stop her from touching him. “Don’t touch me! Don’t hurt me anymore!” He cried out. Saeran was breaking down at the seams. His mind was flooded with memories of his past. _She’s here. Don’t break down. Pull yourself together!_ Saeran tried to fight against them. The nightmares that plagued his mind just wouldn’t go away.

            The car stopped and MC quickly got out. She ran over to the passenger side and opened the door. The girl pulled Saeran into a tight embrace. “Saeran, I don’t know what is going on in your head but, I’m here. I’m not leaving until you feel better.” Her soft voice fell onto his shoulder. His arms snaked around her and he squeezed MC closer to him. “It hurts. She hurt me so badly. They hurt me. Everyone has hurt me. These nightmares won’t go away…” His voice could barely say those words. MC gently stroked his hair and hugged him tighter. Saeran felt tears sting his eyes again and he finally let them out. He sobbed against her shoulder, trying to push the nightmares away.

            After about 20 minutes of them sitting there, Saeran sobbing and MC holding him; he felt his mother’s voice slowly go away. Saeran let go of MC and wiped his eyes. MC looked at him and gave a small smile. “Are you feeling a little better?” She asked softly. He nodded and looked down at his feet. “I’m sorry for making you deal with that. I have some issues from my past that flair up often. You just happened to see me struggle with one…” Saeran said apologetically. MC shrugged and stood up, holding out her hand to help him up. “C’mon, we still have ice cream to grab.” She laughed softly as Saeran grabbed her hand. She pulled him up and held onto his hand as they walked to the ice cream shop.

            They entered the cold shop and MC shivered. Saeran watched her carefully and shrugged off his jacket. “Here… Use this if you are cold.” He muttered as he draped it over her shoulders. She blushed lightly and put it on. It was too big for her, so the sleeves hung off her hands, making it look like her arms were tiny. Saeran cracked a small smile and bumped her shoulder. He hoped that after seeing him breakdown that she would become friends with him. They got up to the counter and ordered their frozen treat. MC got the cookie dough flavor, while Saeran got strawberry, one of his favorites since he was a child. They paid and went outside, picking a table closer to the park.

            MC took Saeran’s jacket off and handed it back to him. He put it back on and ate a spoonful of the frozen treat. “Thank you for letting me use your jacket, I keep forgetting how cold that shop is.” She laughed softly and ate some of her ice cream. “No problem. It’s the least I could do after having you deal with me in my broken state.” He said while watching people walk by. He could feel their eyes on him and his tattoo, the solid black design stood out against his pale skin, so he understood why people stared. He ate some more of his ice cream, the cold treat soothed his sore throat. Saeran hadn’t cried like that since he first got to Saeyoung’s house. MC was watching him as he tried to sort out his thoughts.

They both ate in silence, simply enjoying the company that the other provided. After they finished, MC stretched and walked towards the park. “Do you want to walk around and talk for a bit?” She asked while holding out her hand. Saeran nodded and took her hand, they walked for a bit before finding a bench to sit on.

“So, what do you want to know about first? What happened with Saeyoung today or my past?” Saeran asked while placing his arms behind his head. “Your past, that seems to be more important right now.” MC responded, crossing her legs and looking into his minty eyes. Saeran sighed and nodded. “My mother wasn’t the best person in the world. She always favored Saeyoung, she always got bad at me because I got sick all the time as a child. She would get drunk a lot, which resulted in her hitting both me and Saeyoung. Since she didn’t really like me to begin with, I was the target of most of her abuse.” Saeran explained. He took a shaky breath before continuing. “Once Saeyoung left the house, and never came back, she blamed me and kept asking me where he was. I never knew, so her abuse got worse. She chained me up in a damp closet, she wouldn’t give me food or water for days. Basically bringing me to the brink of death then snatching me back. The torture had stopped once V and his fiancé Rika had found me and took me away. Rika taught me how to hack, and eventually she brought me to Mint Eye. Her followers had fed me so many drugs, they had conditioned my mind to think that Saeyoung was to blame for everything. I would continue but you know the story from there.”

Saeran pulled his jacket closer to his body and fell silent once he finished explaining. He looked over at MC and saw that she was silently crying. “I’m so sorry… I never knew.” She sobbed. Saeran shrugged and brushed his hair from his face. “We were never on good terms, so I never had a reason to tell you.” Saeran sighed and leaned forward on the bench. “Saeran, I’m glad that you told me all of this.” MC placed a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged again and gave her a small smile. “I probably would’ve told you anyways.” MC looked shocked when he said that. He froze and blushed lightly. “I-I’m sorry.” He muttered quickly. “I consider you my friend Saeran.” The girl said while smiling at him. He looked at her and nodded. “I do too.” Was all he said.

            They sat in silence for a while before some dark clouds blocked the sun. “Do you want to go back to your brother’s?” MC asked while standing up. Saeran sighed and stood up as well. “I have to. He’s going to bitch at me again if I don’t go back.” Saeran ran his hand through his hair and walked to MC’s car with her. They got in and MC drove back to the end of Saeyoung’s road in silence. “Same time tomorrow?” She asked suddenly. Saeran looked at her and nodded. “Yeah. I’ll text you when I’m ready.” Saeran smiled and got out of the car.

            “Hey!” MC called. Saeran looked at her and tilted his head in confusion. “Call me later tonight! I have some stuff I want to tell you!” She yelled out before driving away.  He waved as she left, dreading the moment when he walked in. Saeran walked up to the door and opened it. He stood face to face with his brother. Saeyoung’s eyes were red and puffy, like he had been crying.

            “Saeran. We need to talk.” Saeyoung said, his voice cracking with emotion.


	3. Get Out

Voices In My Head

Chapter 3

            Saeran awkwardly walked into the house, his brothers gaze followed him all the way to the couch. He sat down and watched as Saeyoung sat in his usual spot at his computers. Saeyoung ran his fingers through his hair and stared at the floor. “You had every reason to yell at me today.” He said softly while looking up at Saeran. Saeyoung’s legs started bouncing, cluing Saeran in that he didn’t want to talk, but was forcing himself to. “I have been watching you closely just because of two months ago. I don’t want you to die!” Saeyoung told his brother, his voice was thick with emotion and his eyes were filled with tears that threatened to spill. Saeran was silent, he wasn’t sure how to respond to his brother. Saeyoung let out a frustrated groan and slammed his hand down on his desk. “Say something damnit! You can’t just yell at me then leave! That’s not how this shit works!” Saeyoung yelled, standing up so quickly that his chair got pushed across the room.

            Saeran stood up and balled his hands into fists. “What do you know about how this shit is supposed to work?! You abandoned me for years, while you had a life of fucking luxury!” Saeran yelled back at his twin. Saeyoung glared at him, Saeran didn’t care. They had to confront each other, now wasn’t the best time to do so but, it had to happen. “I told you, Saeran, that I didn’t abandon you! I was going to come back! I just needed time! I thought that V and Rika were taking care of you, not teaching you how to hack like me!” The redhead couldn’t control his anger. “Well if I had never learned how to hack, you never would have found me! You don’t know the shit I went through at home!” Saeran shot back. If this wasn’t solved soon, one of them would end up getting hurt. Saeyoung was taken aback before he pointed his finger at his twin. “You tried to kill someone. You should be happy that I found you and took you away from that shithole called Mint Eye!” Saeran knew what his brother was trying to do, he was trying to make him feel guilty for everything that he’s done in his life. Saeran already felt guilty for everything, he just learned to deal with the guilt instead of letting it consume him. Saeyoung was fuming, if he got any angrier, he would probably have steam shooting out of his ears. “You didn’t take me away; your rich businessman friend took me away. All you did was freeze up and get shot because of me. Oh, you also entered me into a hospital and tried to make up for years of abandonment. I don’t have to be happy because of you ‘Seven’.” Saeran made air quotation marks at Saeyoung’s other name. Saeyoung glared at Saeran, but he didn’t care. This argument was just Saeyoung’s way of trying to get Saeran to feel like he owes his brother his life; like he’s indebted to him. Since Saeyoung hadn’t found words to counter Saeran, the white-haired boy pulled out his phone and started to dial MC’s phone number. “I have a call to make, don’t stalk me while I’m outside.” Saeran said while walking out of the house.   

            He heard yelling and crashing from inside. His brother had gone overboard with yelling at Saeran. The pain of him yelling didn’t hit until he was about to call her. Saeran took a shaky breath and rubbed the back of his neck. He didn’t want to yell at Saeyoung, but today was so fucked that he just snapped. _Maybe I should apologize?_ Saeran thought before dismissing the idea, he didn’t start it which meant that he didn’t have to finish it. Saeran was about to call MC before the door opened behind him. Saeyoung stood behind his brother, his eyes were red again.

            “Get out.” Was all Saeyoung said. In that moment, Saeran felt scared. His brother was kicking him out of his house. “W-what?” Saeran stuttered while turning to look at him. “I said get out! It’s fucking painful for you to be here! So just get your shit and get out!” Saeyoung yelled so loudly that his neighbor’s lights turned on. Saeran was shocked, he didn’t think it would come to this. “Fine. Whatever you say.” Saeran muttered while walking inside to pack a bag. He went into his, now old, bedroom and threw his clothes and phone charger into a duffle bag. He grabbed the book that Rika taught him to hack from and his contact case. His choker and bracelet got thrown into the bag as well. Saeran pulled out his phone and called MC.

            After three rings, she picked up. “Hey… What’s up?” She said groggily. “Can I come over to the apartment? We had a fight and I got kicked out.” Saeran sighed as he threw the bag over his shoulder and left the house. Saeran didn’t turn back as he walked out to the road. “Yeah… I’ll text you the address, I don’t feel like driving to pick you up. Just tell the security guard in the lobby that you are there to see me.” The girl yawned. “Got it. See you when I get there.” Saeran said before hanging up. He knew the way to the apartment already, since he spent a good two weeks staking it out when he was in Mint Eye.

            About half an hour later, Saeran arrived at the building. He walked in and went to the front desk. “Uh… What are you doing here?” The lady at the desk asked. “Hello, I’m here to see Miss MC…She told me to check in with someone here in the lobby, I’m guessing that’s you.” Saeran said as politely as he could. The lady nodded slightly and typed something into her computer. “She should be waiting by her door…” The lady couldn’t look Saeran in the eye. He nodded and went towards the stair well. “Uh… What floor is she on?” Saeran asked. The lady made a number three with her fingers and went back to her computer. Saeran entered the stairwell and started climbing up to floor three.

            Once he reached it, he exited the area. Saeran looked around for MC for a second before walking to the apartment door. He knocked and heard a quiet voice call for him to come in. Saeran opened the door and placed his bag on the floor. “Hey Saeran! I’m in the kitchen, do you want something?” He heard MC call out. “Yeah do you have coffee?” He asked her while walking to the kitchen. Saeran saw her nod as he sat at the breakfast bar. He watched her small form stretch up to reach the coffee beans. “Do you need help?” He asked while yawning.

            MC shook her head and started to make coffee for the both of them. Saeran yawned again and slumped in the chair. “Haven’t been getting much sleep?” MC asked while grabbing sugar. “Yeah. Nightmares always wake me up around four in the morning.” He explained while rubbing his eyes. MC finished making their coffee and sat next to him. Saeran took a sip of the warm beverage, the liquid burning its way down his throat woke him up slightly. “Until I clean out the other bedroom I hope you don’t mind crashing on the couch.” MC told him after taking a few drinks. “Yeah that’s no problem. I can help clean it while you work tomorrow, if you’d like me to.” Saeran offered while staring at his drink. She nodded and stood up, going towards a closet in the hallway. Blankets were tossed in his direction, along with a couple pillows. “Thanks.” He muttered while picking up the bedding and tossing it onto her couch. “I hate to leave you alone but I need to go help Yoosung with something for school early tomorrow morning. I’ll wake you up before I leave.” MC said while walking back to her bedroom. “Sweet dreams MC.” Saeran said, attempting to sound cheerful. He heard her laugh and close her door.

            Saeran went to the bathroom and changed into his pajamas, a loose shirt with sweatpants, and took out his contacts. His naturally golden eyes reminded him of his brother, that’s why he only took the contacts out at night; when he remembered of course. He left the bathroom and made his bed on the couch. He hadn’t been in this apartment since he broke in, what seems like forever ago now. Saeran finished making the couch bed, then went to grab his coffee. He silently walked out of the front door and leaned against the railing.

_Why don’t you just jump? Your brother doesn’t love you anymore. That girl only wants to hurt you._

            His mother’s voice seeped like poison into his head. She was right, Saeyoung didn’t love him, it seems like he never did. She was wrong about MC though, they were friends, she helped him today. MC wouldn’t hurt him… right? Saeran sighed and downed the last of the coffee. He went back inside the apartment and locked the door behind him.

            After washing his cup out, he laid down on the couch and stared at the ceiling. Did Saeyoung not want him around anymore? Would MC really hurt him? What would things be like if Mint Eye was still around? Questions flew by in Saeran’s mind like flies, they were annoying and wouldn’t go away. Saeran groaned and buried his face in the pillow. Minutes turned into hours, eventually Saeran fell asleep, the nightmares were nowhere to be found that night.


	4. MC's Day

MC’s POV

 

            The alarm going off next to her ear is what woke her up. MC groaned as she shut off the alarm and sat up in her bed. She had so much to do today; Yoosung needed help in his anatomy class, Jaehee needed help in her coffee shop, Zen wanted to hang out while he practiced his lines, and she had to start organizing the next RFA party. MC groaned and pushed her bangs out of her face. _This is going to be a long day._ She thought as she got out of bed and picked out her outfit for the day.

            She grabbed a tan colored sweater to go over a black long-sleeve shirt, and some black tights to go under her usual black skirt. She grabbed her clothes and went to the bathroom to shower. After showering, she brushed her hair and pulled it into a high ponytail, pinning her bangs to one side. MC left the bathroom and went to the kitchen, she made herself coffee but jumped when she saw Saeran sleeping on her couch. _Oh… that’s right he needed a place to stay. I completely forgot!_ MC sighed as she tried to calm herself down. She poured her coffee into a travel mug and grabbed her bag from the table. MC went over to the couch and gently shook Saeran’s shoulder. “Hey… I’m leaving, I don’t know when I’ll be back but, you don’t have to stay inside all day.” MC told Saeran as he groggily looked up at her. She wasn’t used to seeing him without the mint colored contacts, his golden eyes were cloudy with exhaustion. “Yeah… I’ll clean out that bedroom while you are gone.” He grumbled while burying his face back into the pillow. MC backed away from the couch and grabbed her car keys. “See you later Saeran!” She called out as she left the apartment.

            MC made her way down to the lobby, the lady at the front desk waved at her to come over. “Miss MC… Is that man from last night someone you know?” The woman asked. “Yeah he’s my friend. His brother kicked him out after a fight they had so, he’s going to be living with me for a while. Can you give him a key to the apartment if he comes down here?” MC explained briefly for her. The woman nodded and went back to typing on her computer. She left the building and went to go get into her car. MC’s phone rang, it was Yoosung calling. “Hey MC! Are you on your way?” The boy asked, both tired and excited. “Yeah, Yoosung I’m on my way. I’m meeting you at the university library, right?” MC asked while starting the vehicle. “Yup! I’ll meet you in the parking lot!” Yoosung said before hanging up the phone. MC laughed softly at the guy’s enthusiasm. He hadn’t been motivated in school before everyone in the RFA helped get him away from LOLOL.

            It took about 15 minutes to get to Sky University from MC’s apartment building. She carefully pulled into the parking lot and looked around for the blonde she was supposed to be meeting. Yoosung saw her first, waving like a madman while she walked up to him. He had cut his hair after the first RFA party, so it was short. He also got glasses after some sort of injury to one of his eyes, the red frames fit his face nicely; they made him look older. “MC! Hey!” Yoosung called out happily. MC waved and skipped over to her friend. The boy hugged her and pulled her towards the library. “I only have an hour before classes start so we have to hurry.” Yoosung laughed a little before running his hand through his short hair. They made it to the library and Yoosung lead MC to a table where he had already set up his books.

            MC helped Yoosung study for the hour before his classes. He had thanked her so many times, promising to find a way to pay her back for the help. MC walked back to her car, watching the college students file into their buildings. MC went to college before joining the RFA, she couldn’t remember what degree she got though. MC got into her car and drove over to Jaehee’s café. It was small but, popular because of the area it was in. The café was coincidently near C&R, Jumin Han’s workplace. Most of the people that went to Jaehee’s café knew her when she was working as his chief assistant. “MC! Hey!’ The woman said happily when she saw MC walk in. MC waved and gave a quick hug to Jaehee. “The apron is in the back; can you handle the register?” Jaehee asked. “Yeah no problem!” MC happily tied the apron around her waist and took her usual spot at the register.

            Jaehee closed the shop for a quick lunch break. “So, what’s new? You look tired.” Jaehee asked MC while making a sandwich for them. “Oh, nothing really. Saeran is living with me right now.” MC sighed and stretched. “I thought he was living with Seven?” Jaehee brought their food over and sat down across from her best friend. MC shrugged and took a bite of the sandwich. “Yeah he did. I guess they got into an argument and Seven kicked him out. So, he called me and I’m letting him stay with me for a while.” MC smiled at Jaehee while explaining. Her friend nodded and took a sip of her water. “I wonder what they fought about… So, are you two on good terms now?” Jaehee asked. MC nodded and kept eating. “Yeah we are. We go and grab ice cream on the weekends at that little shop near the park.” MC smiled, getting ice cream with Saeran was one of her favorite things to do. Jaehee smiled at her best friend. Saeran wasn’t her favorite person in the world but, she could tell that MC enjoyed hanging out with him.

            They continued to chatter about little things while they ate. After lunch, Jaehee opened the café up again. MC hugged her best friend and said her goodbye’s, she had to run over to C&R. Jumin called and needed help with something, probably having to do with Elizabeth again. MC walked over to the tall office building, waving at the secretary in the lobby. “Here to see Mr. Han?” the woman asked quickly. “Yeah, is he in his office?” MC asked. The woman nodded and pushed a button to let Jumin know that she was at the office. MC walked to his office, politely saying “Hi” to anyone that recognized her. She knocked on Jumin’s office and waited for him to let her in. MC heard a gruff “Come in.” so, she walked into the office.

            “MC… I need your help!” Jumin said as she sat in front of him. “With?” MC asked. “Elizabeth isn’t eating! I tried to call Yoosung since he is studying to become a veterinarian but, he didn’t answer.” Jumin looked worried. MC sighed and laughed. “Yoosung is in class, Jumin. She might just be getting too much food or she doesn’t want to eat right now?” MC tried to offer suggestions. Jumin tugged at his tie and thought for a moment. “Yes… I suppose you are right.” He muttered while eyeing the papers on his desk. “If she doesn’t eat then just take her to a vet that’s in town.” MC shrugged and gave a small smile. Jumin nodded and started signing documents. “Thank you for your help MC, I appreciate it.” He thanked her quickly before getting absorbed in his documents. “Call me if you still need help. I’ll get going now.” He grunted an answer and MC took that as her cue to leave. She left C&R and walked back to Jaehee’s café.

            “I’m going to go help out Zen, can I bring him some coffee or something?” MC asked her friend. Jaehee smiled brightly and made the coffee that Zen usually orders whenever he stops by. “Here. Tell him I said hello!” Jaehee smiled. MC laughed and patted Jaehee on the back. “Of course. See you later!” MC left the café, two coffees in her hands. She walked out to her car and set the drinks on the hood. MC pulled out her phone and called the silver haired actor. “Hey babe, are you on your way?” He asked. “Yeah! How did you know?” MC laughed at Zen. He was a great guy to be around, once you got past the narcissism. “I read your mind!” Zen laughed from the other end of the call. “Dork. I’ll be there in half an hour, I’m coming from Jaehee’s café with coffee.” MC smiled and hung up before he could answer. She got a text from the actor.

_Zen: Babe I’m supposed to hang up first!_

_MC: Oops, beat you to it! Lol_

            MC got in her car and drove to Zen’s house. It was slightly underground, but it was a nice place; it fit Zen. MC parked and grabbed both drinks before walking up to his door. She kicked it a few times to let Zen know that she was at the door. A few seconds later, the actor opened the door and took a coffee from her hands. “Hey babe.” He grinned and let her inside. They both sat down on his couch and drank their coffee. “So… Guess who is living with me.” MC smiled at the thought of Saeran on her couch this morning. His white hair was all messed up and his eyes were breathtaking, with and without the contacts in. “WHO?” Zen suddenly shouted, snapping MC out of her thoughts.

            MC blushed and laughed while muttering Saeran’s name. Zen’s complexion dropped five shades, he looked like he had saw a ghost. “Relax, its temporary. Seven kicked him out so I’m helping him out. He’s sleeping on the couch until I can get the guest room cleaned out.” MC giggled at Zen’s expression. “All men are wolves MC! You can’t let him into your room!” Zen started nagging MC. She couldn’t help but laugh, he did this all the time if she mentioned that she was alone with any of the other male members in the RFA. Zen gave up his nagging after a while and laughed with MC. “Saeran isn’t all that bad Zen. We go out and grab ice cream almost every weekend. He seems happy whenever we do.” MC smiled when she thought of Saeran smiling. He had a lovely smile, but he never did it often. “Really? Is that why you don’t hang out with me anymore?” Zen feigned jealousy, hugging MC close to his chest. She laughed again and hugged the actor back. “Yes Zenny, I’m replacing our friendship for him.” MC said sarcastically, using the old nickname she had for Zen.

            They continued laughing and joking around for hours. Time flew by whenever MC was with Zen, he knew how to make just a simple hangout last for hours without it getting boring. MC felt her phone buzz with a text; she pulled out her phone and read who it was from.

_Saeran: Hey I got that room cleaned out. It didn’t take long… I slept most of the day away_

_MC: Woah thanks! I’ll help you get the room set up when I get home, I’m about to leave Zen’s place, I hung out with him for a few hours after helping Yoosung and Jaehee._

_Saeran: Sweet. I’m going to grab something to eat. I can get back into the building if I leave, right?_

_MC: Yeah, I told the lady at the front desk to give you a key to the apartment already._

_Saeran: Thanks. See you later_

            MC smiled at the boy’s texts. He was nice when he wanted to be. It was a shame that Mint Eye got to him. MC wasn’t happy with Seven for kicking his brother out either. _I should call Seven soon to find out why he kicked Saeran out._ MC thought. Zen looked at his friend and bumped her shoulder with his own. “Gotta get going soon?” He asked. MC nodded and hugged the actor one more time. “I’ll try to visit more often, I promise.” MC smiled and grabbed her bag. Zen walked her out and waved as she got into her car. She grabbed her phone and dialed Seven’s number.

            After about two rings, he picked up. “Hey MC. What’s up?” He asked. “Why did you kick Saeran out? He’s living with me right now. He seems more broken than ever.” MC wasn’t happy with the hacker. “We fought. That’s all you need to worry about.” Seven snapped at her. “It is something I have to worry about because your brother looks like he could cry at the mention of your name. What the fuck were you thinking when you kicked him out?” MC tried to control her irritation. It didn’t work out well. “I don’t want to talk about it MC. If you are so concerned, why don’t you just get answers out of him. I’m not the asshole here.” MC could tell that Seven was pissed off, she didn’t care. “You are the asshole here because you kicked out your brother when he’s having a hard time! Do you even care about that?” MC shifted the phone so that she could hold it with her shoulder while she drove home. “I do care! He just doesn’t appreciate it!” Seven yelled. MC winced and sighed. “You are just blinded by something Seven. Until you can see that you are also at fault here, Saeran will be living with me. Don’t hack into the cameras to watch him or me. Just think about things, alright?” MC snapped slightly as she pulled into her usual parking spot.

            “Whatever.” Was all Seven said as he hung up. MC groaned and rested her head on the steering wheel. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Saeran. He didn’t have his usual black jacket on or his choker. He was wearing a baggy hoodie with some ripped jeans. His mint colored contacts weren’t in either, his natural golden eyes looked somewhat happy. _I don’t think I’ve seen him look so relaxed…_ MC thought as she watched him walk into the apartment building. MC sighed and got out of her car. She walked up to the building and saw Saeran waiting for her in the lobby.

            “I recognized your car…” Saeran muttered while looking at the floor. MC smiled and blushed. “I was about to walk in but, you looked so different so I just sat there watching.” She laughed while walking towards the stairs. Saeran smiled and followed her. They both chattered about their days while walking up to the apartment.

            “Did you eat? I can cook if you’d like.” Saeran asked while opening the door for her. “Yeah that would be nice.”  MC smiled and set her stuff down once she got inside. She didn’t know Saeran could cook. “I didn’t know that you cooked.” She said while taking a seat at the breakfast bar. “Yeah I can. Something Rika taught me how to do.” He said while rooting around for things to cook with.

            Saeran cooked for them both and they ate in silence. MC was shocked, he could cook well, way better than what she could. “This was great, thank you.” MC smiled and went to wash her plate off. Saeran finished shortly after and washed his dish off as well. They went to the guest bedroom and MC started setting up the bed. “Thank you for letting me stay here.” Saeran mumbled while he unpacked his duffle bag. MC shrugged and smiled at him. “It’s not a problem. It was getting lonely here anyways. The company is appreciated.” She said. They finished setting up the room and Saeran looked at MC. Golden eyes met hazel, and MC blushed. “I-I should get to bed. It’s been a long day.” She laughed nervously while exiting the room. Saeran nodded and closed the door once she left.

            MC’s heart was racing. She had only been friends with him for a day, is she already getting feelings for him? No, that was ridiculous, she couldn’t be… right? MC sighed and got ready for bed. She climbed into it and buried her face into her pillow. Saeran was incredibly nice, though he did have some issues, those didn’t matter. He was soft at heart; his cold exterior just hid that. MC was exhausted, she fell asleep while thinking of the white-haired boy in the guest room of her apartment.


	5. Happy Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday MC! Things are going great, Saeran socializes with the RFA members, the party is a grand ole time... until Saeyoung decides to be a dick

Chapter 5

Saeran's POV

* * *

It had been a week since he got to MC's apartment. She helped him get settled in her guest bedroom and they could relax around each other. Saeran smiled as he stretched and sat up in his bed. Living with MC after Saeyoung kicked him out was relaxing. Saeran got out of bed and silently left the bedroom, making sure MC wasn't in the hallway. It was her birthday today, and Saeran wanted to surprise her. He quickly peeked into her bedroom to see if she was in there, she wasn't, which meant that she fell asleep at her desk in the living room again. Her birthday fell on the same day as the RFA party, so she had been working overtime to gather enough guests. Saeran walked out to the main portion and saw her snoring softly on her desk, the official RFA e-mail screen was left open. Saeran grabbed a spare blanket and draped it over her shoulders before writing a quick note for when she woke up.

_Hey MC,_

_I went out for a bit; this note is just in case you wake up before I'm back. Don't forget that the RFA party is at noon, it's about eight in the morning when I'm writing this._

_Be back soon,_

_~Unknown_

Saeran smiled to himself as he wrote his old nickname. He placed the note on the fridge and snuck out of the apartment. Saeran had a few things to grab before he went back. He was stopping by Jaehee's café to get a treat for the sleeping girl, he also had to pick up their party outfits, he was surprising MC with a new dress he had picked out earlier this week. Saeran walked to Jaehee's café, walking was helping calm his nerves. He was nervous for today, it was his first RFA party as an official member, and his brother would be there. Saeran looked around, he was in the more business side of the city. He spotted Jaehee's café after passing it a few times. He walked in slowly and waved nervously at Jaehee. "Hey Jaehee." Saeran said politely. Jaehee gave a small smile and leaned on the counter. "Is she sleeping still?" The long-haired woman asked. "Yeah, she worked late last night prepping for today's party." Saeran rubbed the back of his neck. None of the RFA members were 100% comfortable with him yet, however; Jaehee was the only one warming up to him quickly. "I made this for her… along with your treat, can you give it to her?" Jaehee asked while handing him a cake slice that was tightly packaged. "Yeah, thank you again for doing this for me." Saeran thanked the woman. She was MC's best friend after all, so Saeran was extra careful not to make her mad. Jaehee offered a small smile while handing him his gift for MC and a coffee. "The coffee is for you, my treat." Jaehee patted Saeran on the shoulder, the boy smiled in return. "Thank you Jaehee. See you at the party." Saeran said before leaving. He saw Jaehee wave then go to the small computer to punch in numbers. She worked so hard to keep the shop running, Saeran admired her for it.

Saeran walked to the place where MC's dress was, his suit for the day was somewhere else. "Ahhhh… are you Mister Saeran?" The man in white asked as he entered the store. Saeran nodded and gave a small smile. "Ahhhh yes… The dress you ordered is in the back. Beautiful color choice if I may say." The man said while showing Saeran to the back of his store. The man pulled off a tarp that was on the dress mannequin. "This is the length and color you wanted, yes?" The man said proudly while eyeing Saeran. "Yes, it's perfect. Thank you." Saeran smiled and looked at the dress. It was a crimson red color, strapless, and the length fell right above the knees. It was simple, but Saeran thought it would suit MC perfectly. The designer clapped happily and took the dress off the mannequin. After boxing it up, Saeran paid for the dress. He had some money saved from Rika and Mint Eye, he didn't want to use it unless it was for a good cause or emergency. He was planning of donating half of what he had to the RFA, he owed them that much and more. Saeran carefully balanced the gifts for MC in his hands while he went to go pick up his suit.

He got to the store and again went to the back to see what he had gotten. It was a black jacket with a dark red, like MC's dress, on the cuffs. It was paired with black pants and a crimson red shirt. He hadn't meant to match with MC, he picked out the dress before the suit. The stylist offered to give him a tie but Saeran refused, having a tie just felt like too much. He paid for his suit and started the walk home. Saeran hoped that MC was awake, she couldn't sleep all day.

Saeran got to the apartment building and tried to wave at the lady at the front desk. She gave him a small, uncomfortable smile and helped him by opening the door to the stairwell. There was an elevator in the building but, he preferred to keep moving. Elevators reminded him of the cell he was kept in while he was in Mint Eye. Saeran shook his head and pushed those thoughts way. _Not today, this is a happy day._ Saeran smiled as he imagined MC's face when he gave her the gifts. He reached the door and opened the door with his elbow. MC wasn't at the desk, but he heard the shower running and her voice from the bathroom. _She's singing in the shower. That's adorable!_ Saeran thought while chuckling. He put the food on the breakfast bar and snuck into her room to set the dress box on her bed. Saeran went and placed the box with his suit on his bed and listened for MC getting out of the shower. "Hey MC! I'm home!" Saeran called out while walking back to the kitchen. He heard her muffled voice call out a quick "Hey!" from the bathroom. He covered his eyes when she exited, just to mess with her. "Ha ha very funny dork." She grumbled while walking over to him. She put her pajamas back on, she usually didn't get ready until the last minute. MC pointed to the treats on the counter. "What's this?" She asked. Saeran grinned and walked over to scoop her into a tight hug. "Happy birthday! The cake is from Jaehee and the cookies are from me, baked by Jaehee of course." He smiled when he saw her face light up in joy. She hugged him back and laughed against his chest. "Thank you! I'll save them for later." MC said while pulling out of his embrace. "There's something else for you, on your bed." Saeran said while wiggling his fingers. MC's eyes lit up again as she raced to her bedroom.

He laughed and followed her. Saeran watched as she carefully opened the box and pulled out the dress. Her face turned a light shade of pink as she looked back at Saeran. MC smiled and carefully placed it on her bed. "Its beautiful Saeran…" She said while walking towards him. Saeran blushed lightly and smiled. "I wanted to do something nice for you. It is your birthday after all." He said while brushing his hair out of his face. MC hugged him tightly and buried her face into his chest. Saeran hugged her back and gently stroked her hair.

_She doesn't care for you Saeran. It's all fake!_

Saeran tried to ignore his mother's voice. Now was not the time, she had been quiet for the past week, why now? Saeran hugged MC tighter and rested his chin on the top of her head. His mother would not spoil this moment or his day. MC gently pulled out of the embrace and checked the time. Her hazel eyes widened in a panic. "Its eleven! Oh my gosh we have to get ready!" She exclaimed while pushing Saeran out of her bedroom. He laughed and left to go get changed.

The suit fit perfectly. The black complimented his pale skin and white hair. He sat on his bed, debating on if he should put his mint contacts in or not. MC knocked on his door softly. "I'm going to go down to the car, do you need help?" She asked from the hallway. "Yeah… should I put in my contacts?" He asked. The girl was silent before giving a reply. "No, leave them out." Was all she said before walking off. Saeran heard her heels clicking their way out of the apartment. He ran a hand through his hair and left his room.

He made his way down to the lobby, the woman at the desk stopped him. "You look very handsome. Is it a date?" She asked while wiggling her eyebrows. Saeran chuckled and shook his head. "No, it's for a charity party." He responded. The woman smiled and nodded towards the doors. "She looks beautiful, be careful or else someone will sweep her away before you do." The woman said before going back to her computer. Saeran blushed and walked out of the building to MC's car.

MC was leaning against her opened door, her face twisted into a frown as she talked on the phone. The lady at the desk was right, MC looked beautiful. The dress fit her perfectly, the skirt swayed in the slight breeze. Her hair cascaded down her back in delicate curls, her bangs were pinned to the side with a simple silver pin. The lipstick she had on was the same shade of red as her dress and she had small silver dangles hanging from her ears. Her heels were black, boosting her height a few inches. Saeran coughed and went to the passenger side of the car, MC smiled at him and got in as well. She muttered something into her phone and hung up the call, clearly irritated. "Who was that?" He asked. MC gripped onto the steering wheel and started the car. "Your brother. He's coming to the party but only for one reason." She gripped the wheel tighter and started the drive to the party. "Is the one reason me?" Saeran said quietly, staring out of the window. MC nodded and looked at Saeran for a brief second before looking back at the road. Saeran sighed and looked at the woman next to him. "I won't fight with him. This is a happy day." Saeran told her. MC smiled and sighed happily. "I just don't want Seven to pick a fight with you." She said as they pulled into the venue.

The party was held in the same area as MC's first party. There were VIP parking spots for RFA members so, MC pulled into the one marked for her. Saeran got out of the car and opened MC's door for her, giving an exaggerated bow. She laughed and got out of the vehicle. Saeran offered his arm to her, and she took it. They walked up to the entrance and met Jaehee at the door. "MC! Happy birthday! You look gorgeous!" Jaehee said while hugging her best friend. Jaehee gave Saeran a quick thumb up while motioning to the dress. He gave the woman a smile and give her a quick hug as well. "Saeran I almost didn't recognize you without the mint eyes." Jaehee laughed as the three of them walked into the party to grab their RFA lanyards. Once they got them and had the lanyards on, Jaehee left to go greet the incoming guests. MC went to go find the RFA members. Saeran awkwardly stood in the party hall next to the podium while he waited for the girls so come back.

Someone he recognized as another RFA member approached him. His black hair and cold, grey eyes looked familiar. "You are Jumin Han, right?" Saeran asked while observing the man in front of him. "Yes… You are Luciel's brother?" Jumin asked Saeran. He nodded and tilted his head slightly. "Is 'Luciel' Saeyoung?" Saeran asked, he hadn't heard that name before. Jumin nodded and looked around the room before turning his attention back to Saeran. "Thank you for getting me out of Mint Eye, it's been a rough few months but I really appreciate you getting me out of there." Saeran muttered. Jumin Han looked at Saeran and held out his hand. Saeran took it and they shook hands. "I have a spot open in my company if you want it. Call that a way of thanking me. Have my card, call me when you are ready." The older man handed Saeran a white, cardstock card before walking off. Saeran turned the card around in circles before sliding it into his pants pocket. He saw MC in the distance and walked through the growing crowd to her. She was chatting with a guest when Saeran reached her. She smiled at him and tugged him closer to her. "I hate to be rude but this is my date to the party, maybe next time." MC joked with the guest while linking her arm with Saeran's. The guest smiled at them before walking off. MC sighed and leaned her head on his arm. "Having fun?" Saeran asked. "I never liked greeting the guests but it is my job, so, I can't complain too much." She said while taking her arm away. Saeran smiled and looked around, there were a lot of people already, the RFA members were mingling with the guests. The only thing that separated them from everyone else were the bright yellow lanyards.

MC spotted Zen and Yoosung, taking Saeran's arm again. She dragged him over to the other men and smiled brightly. Zen hugged MC while staring at Saeran's outfit. Yoosung hugged MC as well, complimenting her the entire time. "Saeran… you look different." Zen said while smirking. "Is that a good different or a bad different?" Saeran joked with the actor. They laughed as Zen patted Saeran's shoulder. "You look good. A nice match with our dear MC." He said while looking at the woman. She was stunning, radiating joy to every guest and RFA member. "I picked that dress out for her birthday. I didn't realize that she would look this beautiful." Saeran muttered while watching her. Zen looked at the younger man and nodded. Zen felt like Saeran had deeper feelings for MC, but Saeran didn't realize it yet. Zen watched his golden eyes track MC's every movement, the actor noticed the joy in his eyes. "You did well, that color really suits her." Zen said while throwing an arm around Saeran's shoulder. He nodded and looked at Zen. "She cares for you, and all of the other members like family. I'm not sure how she feels about my brother." Saeran told the actor. Zen looked shocked at first but his features melted into a smile. "MC has a big heart, for all of us. You seem to be the focus though." Zen said. Saeran looked at the older guy. "What do you mean?" He asked. Zen laughed and walked with Saeran to grab a glass of champagne. "This past week, all she has done with me and Jaehee is talk about you, and how you filled up the empty apartment." Zen said while taking a sip. Saeran felt a blush creep up his face as he turned to look at her. "Has she? I never realized that she was so happy." He muttered while taking a glass for himself. Zen nodded and noticed a friend of his. "I'll be back later. Don't steal her away from us all night!" Zen laughed as he walked away. Saeran nodded while taking a sip from his glass.

Yoosung was the next person to talk to Saeran. The college student was eager to talk to him. "How is living with MC?" The blonde asked. Saeran shrugged and gave a sarcastic answer. "It's like living with spiders and monsters under your bed." Saeran wiggled his fingers at the college student as creepily as he could. Yoosung's face paled and his purple eyes widened in fright. "R-Really?!" He screeched. People turned to look at them but dismissed it once Saeran grabbed the boy's arm. "I'm kidding. Don't get so scared." Saeran laughed while patting Yoosung's shoulder. Yoosung relaxed and laughed with Saeran. "You really scared me for a minute there!" He sighed while messing with his bow tie. Saeran smiled and let go of the blonde. "Living with her is pleasant. I cook for her some nights, she helped me get set up in the apartment, and we just work with each other to take care of things." Saeran explained. "I'm jealous, I would love to live with MC! She's so smart!" Yoosung gushed while looking at the tables next to them. Saeran wasn't sure how to continue talking. "So… how's college?" He asked while sipping the champagne. Yoosung's face lit up and he smiled at Saeran. "It's fun! My anatomy class is really hard but, that's why I ask for MC for help. I think she got some sort of degree in medicine. She knows more about the stuff in my classes than I do." The younger boy laughed nervously. Saeran smiled and patted him on the back. "Good luck with your classes." He said before searching the room for MC. Yoosung thanked him and walked off to go find someone.

Saeran kept sipping from his glass while he looked for MC. He spotted the skirt of her dress go around a corner, so out of curiosity he followed her. Saeran heard angry voices so, he stuck to the shadows and slinked down the hallway. MC was arguing with Saeyoung about something. Saeran caught a glimpse of his brother, he was wearing his usual blue jeans and black hoodie combination. MC look pissed at both his attire and attitude. Saeran listened closely to their hushed voices. "You can't show up looking like that! This is a formal charity event!" MC hissed through her teeth. Saeyoung rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders like a teenager. "I'm only here to see Saeran anyways, why should it matter what I wear?" He countered. Saeran saw MC ball her hands into fists, obviously trying to keep her temper in check. "You are a member of the RFA, you should've been here even if Saeran didn't come. This is an RFA event, not a party held for shits and giggles." MC looked like she wanted to slap Saeran's twin. Saeyoung's eyes were dull, unfocused. "Why do you care about the prick? Did you forget that he killed V? Did you forget that he almost kidnapped you? That he hacked into a security system that could've killed you?" Saeyoung shot at her. Saeran smelt something sour, almost like alcohol. Saeyoung had been drinking, not enough to make him super drunk, but enough to take away his verbal filter. MC's face turned red as she pointed a finger at him. "Your brother has changed. He only did that shit because of the drugs Mint Eye gave him. If you would actually fix things between the two of you, you would see that! But no, Seven Oh Seven the hacker doesn't fix things with his family that he lost for years. He just argues to make the other person feel like they are at fault for everything!" MC yelled, not loud enough for the rest of the party to hear though.

Saeyoung didn't pay attention to what she was saying, which pissed the woman off to no end. As Saeran was about to walk away, he heard a loud crack. He quickly looked back at the pair and saw a bright red handprint on Saeyoung's face. MC had slapped his twin brother, Saeran was proud of her. He left the pair, not wanting to hear anymore. It was private, something Saeran shouldn't have seen in the first place. Before he got to the end of the hallway he heard MC cry out and a loud crash that followed. Saeran panicked and ran down the hallway. What he saw made his vision go red with rage.

Saeyoung was holding MC by the wrists against the wall, a vase that was next to them had toppled over from the force Saeyoung had put behind pinning her against the wall. He was whispering something in her ear that made MC's face go white. Saeran walked up to his brother and pulled him off MC. "Get off her. What were you thinking?!" Saeran hissed while glaring at his twin. MC rubbed her wrists and back, he hadn't tried to do anything stupid, which relieved Saeran a bit. "Oh, I was just telling our lovely MC about how you tried to kill me within the first month of living with me." Saeyoung had a wicked smirk on his face. Saeran looked at MC, her face was twisted into a confused glare towards the both of them. _I'll explain later. Promise._ Saeran mouthed at MC. She nodded and went to stand behind him. "What are you siding with him now?" Saeyoung spat at her. Saeran took a step toward his brother before MC grabbed the back of his jacket. "Just leave it. Let's go back to the party." She said while tugging Saeran back. Saeran gave one last glare to his brother and left with MC to go back to the party.

_He doesn't love you anymore Saeran. He hates you, just like I did._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda like painting Seven to be a douchebag, its just so different and not often seen in this fandom/community. See you in the next chapter!


	6. Brothers Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The RFA party is going great! Then Saeyoung decides to be a dick and fights with Saeran

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *This was an 8 page word document, the chapters in this story are so long oops*

Before MC and Saeran made it back to the party she pulled him off to the side. “Are you alright?” She asked while looking into his eyes. Saeran nodded and shrugged. “I’ll be fine. You just need to worry about having a great birthday.” He smiled and gently placed a hand on her cheek. MC blushed and looked away, towards the party hall. “We should get back.” Was all she said before tugging Saeran with her to the party. Jaehee ran up to MC with a concerned look on her face. “I heard a yell and crash, is everything okay?” She asked quickly while looking over MC for injuries. Saeran noticed light bruises on MC’s wrists from his brother’s grip. MC hugged Jaehee and told her that everything was fine, that she had just tripped. The women smiled at each other and went to mingle with the rest of the guests. Saeran looked around for Saeyoung, hoping that his brother wouldn’t start anything.

            The party went along smoothly, the guests had donated just around $50,000 to be divided into charities, MC was showered with birthday wishes, and anyone who saw Saeran and MC together kept mistaking them as a couple. They, of course, dismissed it every time. The party was ending and MC walked up to the podium to make an announcement. She tapped on the microphone, confirming that it was working. “Good evening, guests and RFA members. This is only the third party I have hosted since I joined the RFA. The members have been incredibly sweet and caring towards me. If you hadn’t realized already, it is my birthday today. I’m officially turning twenty-one.” There was a chorus of people telling her happy birthday as she stopped to take a breath. “There is one member in the RFA that I would like to thank.” MC took a deep breath and looked right into Saeran’s eyes. “Saeran Choi, if you could please make your way up closer to the stage.” MC smiled at him as he slowly walked over. _What is she planning?_ Saeran thought as he looked up at her. She cleared her throat and continued talking. “Saeran Choi is a new member of the RFA, we had found him after my first party in a deteriorating mental state. After being admitted to a hospital, he slowly got better. He lived with his brother for four months before coming to live with me.” The crowd looked at Saeran and muttered apologies to him. He nodded and stared at the ground in embarrassment. “In the week that Mr. Choi has been living with me, I have realized just how lonely my apartment was. He cared for me, made sure I ate, he didn’t let me over work myself when planning this party, and he filled the silence of the apartment. In fact, the dress that I am wearing tonight was given to me by Saeran as a birthday gift. I could say so much more, but this is a RFA party.” MC laughed softly before looking out to the crowd with determination. “Before I hand the microphone over to Saeran, I want to personally donate five hundred dollars to this party. Thank you all for coming, the party will be ending in about an hour, so any last donations need to be made. Please see my fellow RFA member Jaehee Kang if you have any last-minute donations. Thank you.” MC smiled brightly and motioned for Saeran to get on stage.

            He shook his head before slowly taking MC’s place at the podium. She hugged him before rushing off the stage. Saeran cleared his throat and placed his hands on the podium to steady himself. “Hello… I am Saeran Choi, the newest member of the RFA. As MC stated, I was in a bad mental state before I joined. Since I have been in the RFA however; the members welcomed me with open arms. Although some of them weren’t sure of me at first, we all learned to set aside any doubts we had about each other and become friends.” Saeran took a shaky breath while looking out at the crowd. He spotted MC, who gave him an encouraging thumbs up. “I want to say happy birthday to the woman who has helped with my recovery. MC, the woman who hosted this party, has saved me from the poisonous thoughts that ran rampant in my mind. Before I moved in with her, we would go get ice cream together on the weekends, a pass time that I’ve clung to since my childhood. I want to personally thank the RFA for welcoming me. I also want to extend a thanks to MC… who has saved me from falling back into my broken thoughts.” Saeran smiled and let go of the podium. “I want to donate to the RFA specifically. These funds I am going to donate go straight to the RFA organization, in hopes of holding more parties in the future. I’m donating fifty thousand dollars from my personal bank account. Thank you for having me and happy birthday, my dear MC.” Saeran heard gasps through the crowd as he stepped down from the stage.

            MC came up to him and hugged him tightly. “That was amazing!” She laughed while looking up at him. Saeran smiled and hugged her back, this day went from bad to amazing just because of her. Saeran let go of MC and walked up to Jaehee, who was looking at him in shock. “I have a card that the money can be pulled off. It was given to me by Rika and Mint Eye… funds to set me up.” Saeran explained to her. Jaehee nodded and swiped the card once Saeran handed it to her. Jaehee smiled at Saeran when she gave him back the card. “You still have a decent amount on there.” She said while taking another donation. “Yeah. I’ve been saving it for a good cause. I’m hoping the other members don’t see me as such a bad person now.” Saeran chuckled as he put the card away.  Jaehee was staring at something behind Saeran, her face went white. “Jaehee are you alright?” He asked while placing a hand on her shoulder. Jaehee nodded and pointed behind Saeran.

            He turned around and saw Saeyoung, his arm was wrapped around her shoulder tightly. “Saeran. Dear brother, we need to have a chat outside.” Saeyoung said while smirking. Saeran could feel the poison in his words, it almost matched his mother’s voice. Saeyoung started to walk outside, Saeran at his heels. The crowd of guests parted as they let the trio move swiftly outside. Zen grabbed the microphone in a panic and told the guests that the party was about to end. The guests grabbed their items and filtered out of the venue. Saeyoung led his twin to the back of the building, letting go of MC while turning to face his brother. “We need to talk.” Saeyoung said while shrugging off his hoodie. Saeran stood a few feet in front of his brother, MC was behind him. “What is it about this time?” Saeran asked, keeping his temper in check. Saeyoung laughed as he rolled up his red long-sleeve shirt. Saeran recognized this move, he was going to try and fight him. _That idiot. He clearly is not thinking straight._ Saeran thought as he took off the suit jacket. “MC can you hold this?” He asked quickly while handing it to her. She nodded and took the jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders to keep the night chill away.

            Saeran rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt, mimicking his brother. Saeyoung clapped and laughed to himself. “What did you want to talk about.” Saeran asked while glaring at his brother. “I want you to explain all of the shit that went down within the first two months of living with me, to MC.” His brother said while looking at her. Saeran sighed and looked at the ground. “Is that it? Nothing you want to yell at me about?” He said before looking up at his twin. Saeyoung shook his head and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Saeran sighed again and turned to MC. “When I first got to his house my body was still going through the drug withdraws. Since my mind was trained to want to kill my brother, when he stopped me from trying to kill myself, I snapped and tried to strangle him. With my bare hands. What Saeyoung didn’t tell you is that he actually talked me out of it, that’s why he is still alive today.” Saeran explained, his eyes pleaded MC to forgive him. “During the second month of staying there, my mental state was worse. The drugs had almost fully cleared out of my system, but my mentality was still fragile and broke at any second. I broke a glass one day in a fit of rage. The sharpest piece seemed to call for me, so I picked it up and used it to harm myself. For two weeks, I cut into my skin. The only reason I stopped is because Saeyoung noticed and bitched at me for it. He only noticed because I was careless and left blood stains on my sheets and on the inside of my jacket.” Saeran held out his arms to MC, the scars were still visible. They matched the rest of his body, especially his back.

            MC gently traced her fingers over his arms, the scar tissue was bumpy compared to the rest of his arm. Saeyoung glared at the sight of his brother and MC. “What do you feel sorry for him now?! Oh, he just had a weak mentality! He never wanted to do any of it! That’s bullshit MC! He tried to kill you! He tried to kill me! He killed V!” Saeyoung yelled, his voice echoing. Saeran turned to face his brother, his golden eyes clouded with anger. “Oh, big bad Saeran is going to fuck up his twin! Write this down in your diaries!” Saeyoung laughed sarcastically. MC grabbed Saeran’s arm to stop him, but he shrugged her off. “He has no right to say that shit!” Saeran growled while glaring at his twin. MC looked at Saeran, silently telling him to not get hurt. MC nodded and let go of his arm, walking away from the brothers to stand against the wall. Saeyoung smirked as his twin stood in front of him. They both put their hands up, as if they were about to fight. Saeran turned back to look at MC, silently apologizing for this.

            Suddenly, Saeran’s vision went black and he fell to the ground. He groaned as he held the side of his face, pain blossoming from his right eye. Saeran saw stars as he stood up, watching his brother shake his hand from the punch he had just delivered. He heard MC cry out, asking if he was okay. Saeran shook his head but kept his arms at his sides. _I will not fight. I will not fight him. Not unless the pain becomes too much._ Saeran chanted as his brother delivered a kick to his ribs. Saeran fell back down to the ground and wheezed. Saeyoung was enjoying this, his gold eyes were dull and filled with raw anger. Saeran stood up again, not ready to give up. “You just won’t give up, will you?” Saeyoung cackled as he punched his brother again. “What if I hurt her? Then will you fight back?” He said darkly, his eyes focusing on MC.

            After another kick to the ribs, Saeyoung starting walking over to MC. Saeran stood up weakly, his ribs and face hurt like hell. “Don’t touch her Saeyoung.” He said, his voice was weak and laced with pain. His brother laughed and turned back to him. “What will you do? She doesn’t care about you anyways.” Saeyoung knew exactly what to say, the perfect thing that would break Saeran down. Saeyoung’s voice melted into their mother’s, the memories of the abuse came flooding back. The ability that he had as a child to not fight back slapped Saeran in the face. The white-haired twin stared at his brother. His brother’s face morphed into his mother’s, MC morphed into himself as a child. Saeran was older now, stronger. He would fight this monster before it hurt another person. Saeran glared at this brother and ran toward him, his arm cocked back to deliver a hit of his own. Saeran’s fist connected with Saeyoung’s nose, the fragile bone audibly cracked and blood spurted out from the area. Saeyoung fell to the ground, clutching his face and crying out in pain. Saeran shook his hand and fell to his knees, all of the energy left his body, leaving him weak and in more pain than ever.

            MC rushed over to Saeran and helped him stand up. She looped her arm around his waist and put his arm on her shoulders. Before they walked away, she called the ambulance for Saeyoung. The pair walked away, Saeran hissing in pain with every step. They met Jaehee, Zen, and Yoosung at the front of the building, by MC’s car. “We heard crying, is everything alright?!” Zen asked in a hurry, checking over MC for any injuries. “I’m fine, Saeran beat up Seven though. They both took quite a beating.” MC explained while grabbing a napkin to wipe some blood off of Saeran’s face. Saeran was silent, he had tears leaking out of the eye that Saeyoung punched, it had swelled up already. The RFA members heard sirens and looked up to see the ambulance. MC went up and showed the people where Saeyoung was, while the others grabbed someone to take care of Saeran. Saeyoung was taken to the truck, his broken nose was worse than expected. Some of the shattered bones had hit other areas in his skull. Saeran looked at his hand that was being bandaged. He had hurt his brother, who had morphed into his mother. Saeran shook away the medical officer and turned away, he had messed up, he turned into the person he was back at Mint Eye. Saeran put his head in his hands and cried, he cried for hurting his brother, he cried for thinking that his brother was his mother. MC heard Saeran’s sobs and rushed over to comfort him. Her small hands rubbed circles on his back as he let out all of his frustration over tonight.

_Look what you’ve done. You’ve become the monster that Mint Eye wanted, without the drugs._

            His mother’s voice cackled in his brain. “Saeran? Saeran are you alright?” He heard MC calling for him. He looked up and wiped his tears away, staring into her bright hazel eyes. MC sighed and pulled the man into a tight embrace, she could see how broken he was right now, he needed something to hold onto before he lost his sanity. Saeran hugged her back and buried his face in the crook of her neck. “Don’t leave me please MC. You are the only thing separating myself from the monster that Mint Eye created. Help me not loose myself.” He whispered against her neck. He felt her nod and hug him tighter. Zen and Jaehee watched the pair silently, they had never seen Saeran so… weak. Yoosung was helping examine Saeyoung, the student helped clean the area and winced at the wound.

            After half an hour of crying and medical officers pawing over everyone, they could finally go home. Saeran sat in MC’s car as she said goodbye to her friends. Once she was finished, she got into the car and started it. Saeran said nothing as he stared out of the window, he jumped when MC placed a hand on his arm. “Hey… are you okay?” She asked softly. Saeran nodded and brushed his hand over hers. “Yeah. Let’s just get home… please.” Saeran whispered before going back to stare out of the window. The drive back to the apartment was silent, both of them were still shaken from what had occurred that night.

            When they reached the apartment building, MC stalled on getting out of the car. “Let me help you clean up.” She said suddenly while turning off the car. “Sure… can we get inside first before you ask me questions?” Saeran muttered while gingerly touching his swollen eye. MC nodded and they both got out, walking up to the lobby together. The woman wasn’t there, which relived Saeran, he didn’t want more questions being asked. They walked up to the apartment, MC quickly unlocking the door. She stepped inside first, taking off her heels and leaving them by the door. Saeran closed the door behind him and looked at MC. She was rooting around in the kitchen and bathroom for cleaning supplies. He sat down on the couch and closed his eyes. MC gently tapped his shoulder and motioned for him to join her at the table. Saeran got up from the couch and made his way towards the table, using MC’s steps as a guide. He sat down and looked into her eyes, they were clouded with worry. Saeran gently placed a hand on her cheek and smiled at her. “I’m fine… don’t worry.” His words seemed to break her, tears sprung up in the corners of her eyes and began to fall. She nuzzled her cheek into his hand, her tears falling onto the floor in front of them. Saeran brushed his thumb over her cheek, wiping the tears away. “I was so worried and scared. Your eyes went black and you looked like you could kill someone Saeran.” MC cried, squeezing her eyes shut. “I would have never hurt you MC, I promise.” Saeran whispered to her. She shook her head and wiped at her eyes.

            They were both shaken about what had happened that night. Saeran feared the monster that Mint Eye managed to keep inside of him and MC feared seeing that monster again. Once MC had stopped crying, she carefully cleaned around Saeran’s eye, wincing every time he did. They hated seeing each other in pain. Saeran watched as MC cleaned his knuckles, the stinging of the alcohol reminded him of the force behind his punch. Saeran sighed and closed his eyes again. MC finished bandaging his hand and tapped on his chest gently. “Hm?” He grunted softly, looking at MC through his non-swollen eye. “I need to see your ribs Saeran, you did get kicked there multiple times.” She said while clearing her throat. Saeran nodded and unbuttoned the red shirt, he saw MC blush and turn away. Saeran quickly shrugged the shirt off and looked down at his ribs.

            There were huge bruises all across his chest. He had to hand it to Saeyoung, he could deal some damage. MC blushed again as she turned around. Saeran wasn’t buff in anyway, but he was toned. In Mint Eye, they had taught him how to not only hack and shoot a gun, but they also taught him hand to hand combat, leaving him access to the training room 24/7. MC ran her hand down his chest, taking in the sight of the bruises. She giggled to herself when she saw the start of a V line on his hips. Saeran hissed when she touched his side, where most of the damage was. “Sorry… I wasn’t paying attention.” She muttered while blushing. Saeran realized that trying to put a regular shirt on would be extremely painful to do. “You don’t mind me keeping away from regular shirts while this heals, right?” He asked a blushing MC. She shook her head and cleaned up the mess on the table. “Do you need to relax after tonight?” Saeran asked her, she immediately nodded and threw the stuff away.

            Saeran went back to his bedroom and put some sweatpants on. When he came back out to the main section of the house, MC was nowhere to be seen. Saeran shook his head and sat on the couch, inspecting his ribs once more. MC came out of her bedroom, still in her dress and sat next to him. She had brushed out her curls and took off her makeup, but left the dress on. “MC… your dress? I thought you would’ve changed out of it?” Saeran asked her. She shrugged and looked at it. “I forgot to do laundry and ran out of pajamas.” She muttered. Saeran thought for a moment before standing up. “You can borrow one of my shirts.” He said while walking back to his bedroom. He grabbed a plain black shirt and handed it to her. “Thanks. Why don’t you put something on the TV while I change?” MC said before going back to her bedroom.

            Saeran searched for the remote before giving up and flopping back down onto the couch. He didn’t watch much television, and the remote had run away… again. Saeran’s fingers traced his tattoo as he waited for MC. He heard her door close before he looked up. Saeran’s face turned pink when he saw her. The shirt was too big on her, but stopped right at her knees. She had pulled her hair back into a ponytail and had on socks that had some sort of pattern on them. Saeran inspected them closer and found the pattern to be pizzas with wings. He laughed and looked up at the girl who was also smiling. “Nice socks!” He said while laughing. She laughed with him and sat in the seat next to him. The room grew silent as they both calmed down. MC grabbed Saeran’s hand and held it, her fingers intertwining with his. Saeran looked at her then their hands, his face turned a light pink. MC scooted closer to him and blushed. “Thank you for everything today, it was the best birthday I’ve had in a while.” She said just loud enough for him to hear. “It was your day, I wanted to make it as special as I could.” He muttered while bringing her knuckles up to his lips. He placed a small kiss on her hand and looked at her through his eyelashes.

            She was blushing, her eyes were bright with happiness. “You know, if you wanted to get a hug, all you have to do is ask.” Saeran chuckled. MC stuck her tongue out and laughed at him. She gently hugged him, her arms snaked around his neck, bringing their faces close together. “I… really wish that he hadn’t hurt you.” MC whispered while looking into Saeran’s eyes. He smiled and gently stroked MC’s hair. “What’s done is done. I’ll do everything I can to prevent him from hurting either of us.” He murmured. MC smiled again and she sat up a little. Saeran was overcome with emotion. This woman had helped him so much this past week, he felt something tug at his heart. What was this emotion her felt towards her? Saeran thought about it for a second before a lightbulb went off in his mind. Love, he felt love. For the first time, someone had reached through the darkness that surrounded his heart and showed him love. Saeran smiled brightly and bumped his nose with MC’s. “MC, I love you.” Saeran laughed. MC was shocked, had he just told her that he loved her? “You... what?” She asked softly. Saeran grinned and cupped her face gently with his hands. “I love you. You showed me what love feels like.” He told her while gazing into her eyes. She smiled and blushed again. “I love you too…” MC murmured softly. Saeran kept looking into her eyes before he closed the gap between them. His lips met hers softly, his thumbs gently brushed her cheeks. MC hugged Saeran closer and she kissed him back, confirming their words.

            They pulled away and laid with each other. Eventually, MC fell asleep on Saeran’s chest, her soft breaths tickled his chest. Saeran stroked her hair as he stared up at the ceiling. The night had been filled with joy and pain, MC’s birthday almost got ruined by his brother, Saeran showed a side of himself that he was terrified of, and he had told MC that he loved her. Saeran thought about the card that Jumin Han gave him. Tomorrow morning, he would call and ask about that job. It was time for Saeran to start getting rid of his demons for once and for all.


	7. So this is Love?

**MC's POV**

MC yawned and threw her elbow out to try and get comfortable. She heard a pained grunt and her pillow started moving, waking her up. "MC… you just elbowed me in the ribs." She heard a voice rumble. MC smiled and nuzzled into her talking pillow. "MC… wake up, c'mon your phone has been ringing non-stop for the past ten minutes." The pillow rumbled again, shaking her awake. MC blinked her hazel eyes and yawned, her talking pillow shifted again, throwing her off balance; also causing her to topple to the floor. "Ouch…" MC whined as she rubbed her head. She heard a laugh and saw Saeran, shirtless, holding his hand out for her. MC took it and fell into his lap, her face connecting with his bruised chest. She heard him hiss in pain, and she muttered a quick apology. Saeran shrugged and gently picked her up so that she was sitting upright, still on his lap. "Good morning sleeping beauty." He chuckled while placing a kiss on her cheek. MC blushed and rubbed her eyes. "Morning Saeran, I didn't hurt you too much did I?" MC asked. She became painfully aware of his toned arms and chest, and the bright purple and blue bruises all over his ribs. "No, but I think the floor has a dent in it now." Saeran teased MC, gently patting her head. MC laughed and got off the boy's lap, raising her arms above her head to stretch. MC felt his gaze on her as she did this, MC guessed that his shirt had lifted to give Saeran a clear view of her ass.

"Hey, stop staring. My eyes are up here." MC giggled while turning to face the white-haired boy. His lips turned up into a smirk as he pulled her back into his lap. "But MC, it was such a nice view." He whispered while placing kisses along her jawline. MC giggled again and played with Saeran's pink tipped locks. He smiled and continued peppering her face with kisses. MC's phone rang again, breaking their happy silence. She sighed and slid out of Saeran's embrace to go grab her phone. Without checking the caller ID, she picked up the phone. "Hello?" She said while leaning against her desk in the living room. "MC… hi." MC didn't recognize the voice at first, so she checked the caller ID and saw that it was Saeyoung. "Oh. Hi." She said, frowning. "I wanted to call to see if you could come visit. I had to go to the hospital because of how bad Saeran broke my nose." Saeyoung's voice sounded drugged, like he had taken a bunch of pain medication. "I'm really busy today, I need to go finalize the donations from yesterday's party with Jaehee and I have other plans after that." MC explained while inspecting her nails. She heard Saeyoung sigh before he spoke again. "I'm an RFA member though, can't you make time for me?" He pleaded. "No Saeyoung, I can't. I'm busy. I can send Yoosung or Zen over though." MC tried to be nice, but the memories of last night made her feel sick. "No. It's whatever. Don't bother." Was all the red-head said before hanging up the phone. MC put down her phone and ran her fingers through her hair.

Saeran walked over to her and snaked his arms around her waist, hugging her close to his chest. "It was your brother." She said from against his chest. "I figured. Should I visit him?" MC could feel the sarcasm in that question. "No. How about you come with me today?" She asked while looking up at him. Saeran nodded and kissed the tip of her nose before letting go of her. "I'm going to go shower, maybe that'll take some of the soreness I feel today. I'll try to be quick." Saeran said while heading to the bathroom. MC nodded and went to the kitchen to make herself some coffee. Noticing that she was almost out of coffee beans, she scribbled a reminder on the fridge with a dry erase marker so that she didn't forget. As her coffee was brewing, MC checked her e-mail, replying to any of the guests from last night that were asking about the next party. Once the coffee finished, she poured herself a mug and stepped outside to enjoy it.

One of her neighbors walked by at the same moment Saeran walked outside to stand with MC, his bruised chest out for the entire world to see. The elderly woman looked at Saeran then MC, her face twisting into a smirk. "Oh, you young kids and giving each other hickeys. That's a mighty big one there girl, bet you two had fun." The woman said before walking off to her apartment. MC's face turned a dark red color in embarrassment and Saeran started laughing. MC pushed Saeran back into her apartment and slammed the door closed, still blushing a dark red color. "Wow MC, I didn't know that my bruise came from doing that!" Saeran winked while still laughing. MC gently pushed him and started laughing with him. "My neighbor is always like that! I could be having coffee by myself and she'll ask if I have someone in my apartment with me!" MC struggled to say, since she was still laughing. They both laughed for another few minutes before Saeran's phone ringing distracted them. He looked at the caller ID and smiled. "I'll be a few minutes." He said before pressing a kiss to her cheek. He walked outside and closed the door so that MC couldn't hear any of the conversation.

MC took the opportunity to go take a shower. The hot water soothed her aching back and arms, the wall that Saeyoung pinned her against left a light bruise down her back. MC examined her wrists, there were light purple finger marks from the force Saeyoung used to hold her with. MC sighed and let the water run down her face before quickly washing her hair and body. Just as MC secured the towel around her body, Saeran walked in. MC blushed and held the towel tightly against her while Saeran smirked and covered his eyes. "Sorry MC, lemme grab my contacts and put them in. I won't look, don't worry." Saeran turned away from MC as she tossed her clothes to hang on the shower door. She stepped back into it and started changing. "Sorry to walk in on you like that, I forgot to knock." Saeran said. "It's fine. Just remember to knock next time." MC said while pulling her shorts on. MC quickly slipped her shirt on and got out of the shower, watching as Saeran put his mint contacts in. "I like you without those in better." MC muttered as she watched him. Saeran smiled and blinked his eyes, adjusting to having the contacts in again. Saeran looked at himself in the mirror, his eyes were striking because of the contacts. MC blushed lightly and walked out of the bathroom. She stopped by her bedroom to put her hair up and toss her towel into a basket. MC felt arms snake around her waist and she hummed happily. "You really like hugging me Saeran." She said while leaning into his chest. "It just helps me remember that you are real." Saeran whispered into her hair. MC turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, staring into his minty eyes. Saeran smiled and pressed his forehead against hers. MC pulled him closer and pressed a kiss to his lips. Saeran kissed her back softly, as if she would break from his touch. MC smiled and nibbled on his lip, giggling to herself. Saeran smirked and fell back onto her bed, gently tugging MC's hair free of its hair tie. Her hair fell and created a curtain around their faces. Saeran's eyes were clouded with love as he stared at her. MC blushed and placed her hands on his chest, gently tracing the shape of his collar bone and shoulders with her fingers. Saeran watched her and was about to pull her into another kiss when his phone rang again. They both groaned, MC carefully got off him. Saeran answered his phone while walking out of her bedroom.

MC brushed her hair out of her face and put it back up before leaving her room. Saeran was still on the phone but he had gone to his bedroom. MC looked around for her car keys and purse while she waited for him. Saeran walked out of his bedroom in black jeans and a white button up shirt. "You look fancy." MC said while looking at him. "I have a job interview with Jumin. I guessed on what to wear, is this alright?" He asked while holding his arms out. MC thought for a moment before taking the sleeves of his shirt and rolling them to his elbows, giving him a business casual sort of look. "Much better." She said while winking at Saeran. MC grabbed her purse and keys, then she grabbed Saeran's hand and they left the apartment together. They made it to her car, hand in hand, and got in. "I'll drop you off at C&R before heading to Jaehee's café." MC said while starting the car and driving away.

**Saeran's POV**

They arrived and C&R, Saeran gulped nervously before getting out. "I'll walk to Jaehee's café once I'm done. I'll text you as well." He said before waving goodbye. Saeran watched as MC drove off, his nerves shot up to the roof. This was his first job interview, he only hoped that he made a good impression. Saeran walked into the large office building, looking for Jumin in the lobby. "Excuse me, I'm looking for Jumin Han… Is he here by any chance?" Saeran asked the secretary at the front desk. She looked at him before typing into her computer, her acrylic nails made the clacking of keys louder. "Miss? I'm here to see Jumin Han. Could you direct me to where he is?" Saeran asked again while leaning over the counter. "Look sir, Mr. Han would have no business with someone who looks like you. Dyed hair isn't allowed in the office and your attire is too casual. I'm just preventing a disaster before it happens." The woman snapped her gum at Saeran. He thought for a moment before speaking again. "He requested an audience with me though. I've been personally offered a job here. So, why don't you call your boss and tell him that I'm here." Saeran gave a fake smile while leaning his arms onto the counter. "Saeran, there is no need for that. I'll have a talk with her later." Jumin's cold voice called out from next to him. Saeran got off the counter and held out his hand to Jumin. "I'm glad you took this job offer. Come up to my office, there are some forms you need to fill out." Jumin said as he walked further into the building, Saeran on his heels.

The pair made it to Jumin's office, where a stack of papers and a pen sat on the desk. "Fill out these papers, ask me any questions if you have." The older man said as he took his spot in his office chair. Saeran nodded and sat down, staring at the papers in front of him. Saeran looked at the questions in front of him, suddenly doubting the idea to work for Jumin. He swallowed and started filling out the papers, the questions kept getting more personal as he filled them out.

_Where did you live as a child?_

_I basically lived in a damp closet with a chain around my ankles._ Saeran thought bitterly as he wrote down his mother's old address.

_What jobs have you had?_

_Does a follower of a cult count as a job?_ Saeran asked himself before writing down that he hadn't had a job before.

_Have you encountered drugs in the past two months?_

_I'm glad I didn't fill this out four months ago…_ Saeran smiled while writing down that he hadn't.

Saeran groaned and kept answering questions until he got to the end of the stack. There was a line to sign his name. Saeran signed his name quickly and pushed the papers toward Jumin. The older man took them and neatly tapped them into order before facing Saeran. "I will go over this personally, I'm almost guaranteeing you a job at this company. I will go over the dress code with you on your first day, just bring a tie and nicer pants." Jumin said while folding his hands on the desk. "Thank you. I appreciate this." Saeran said. "Now, you will most likely be working with Yoosung, since he is my part-time intern. He works Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. You will most likely work the entire week." Jumin told the younger boy, his cold eyes bored into Saeran's mint ones. Saeran nodded and stood up, awkwardly squeaking the chair. "I'll call you when I get this finalized. Have a good day Saeran Choi." Jumin said as Saeran walked out of his office. Saeran took a deep breath and let out a happy sigh, he was going to be doing something useful, he had gotten a job. Saeran pulled out his phone and called MC, eager to see her again.

"Hey Saeran, what's up?" She asked while holding her phone with her shoulder. "Hey! I'm on the way to the café, I just finished at Jumin's." Saeran said as he walked out of the office building. "That's great! I'm helping Jaehee clean up and close for the day, she's going out on a friend date with Zen." MC giggled as Jaehee cried out something about it not being a date. "I'll meet you outside of the café then, we must let our dear Jaehee get ready for her date." Saeran chuckled while stopping at a crosswalk. "Perfect. Are we going out for ice cream today or do you want to go home?" MC asked. "Let's go out today, I have some good news for you anyways." He told her. "You mean better news than what you told me yesterday?" He heard MC giggle. "I don't think anything can top that but, this is going to be close. I'm almost there, see you soon." Saeran said before hanging up. MC was so cute sometimes, how she managed to stay single was a mystery to Saeran.

He reached the café and saw the girls chattering inside. Saeran entered the café and silently walked up behind MC, winking at Jaehee to keep quiet. "I have a favor to ask you… come to this ice cream shop and help me find the owner of a phone…" Saeran whispered creepily into MC's ear while quickly hugging her. MC yelped and jumped back into Saeran. "Oh my god you scared me! You are too good at doing that!" MC laughed as she hugged him back. Saeran chuckled and waved to Jaehee, who was also laughing. "That is my revenge for calling it a date!" Jaehee laughed while pointing at MC. MC rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out. "You two look great together, this is the happiest that I've seen either of you." Jaehee said while leaning against the counter. Saeran smiled and ruffled MC's hair. "Thank you Jaehee, and I extend my luck to your date today!" Saeran teased while MC messed with his shirt. Jaehee blushed and started to push the pair out of her café. "Go get ice cream you love birds!" The woman laughed as she got them outside. "Text me later Baehee!" MC called out to her while waving. Jaehee nodded and waved back as Saeran and MC walked to her car.

Saeran quickly pulled MC against him and pressed a kiss to her lips. "I missed you… that interview was so boring." He muttered between kisses. MC giggled and kissed him back, her arms snaking around his neck. "Did you get the job?" She asked when they broke apart. Saeran nodded and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Let's go get that ice cream now." He said before letting go of MC and getting into her car. They drove to their usual ice cream spot, chatting about what they did while they were apart.

They got out of the car and walked hand in hand up to the shop, people were giving hushed "Awe's" as MC and Saeran walked together. Saeran was stopped by a guy who knew MC. "Woah! MC, I haven't seen you since college! How's everything been, do you have a boyfriend yet?" The guy asked while checking her out. Saeran glared at the guy while MC gave a fake smile. "Everything has been fine. I actually do have a boyfriend, he's standing right next to me." She said while wrapping her arms around Saeran's waist. He smirked and pulled MC against him, while still glaring at the guy. "He's… He's scary lookin MC. Are you really into scary dudes now? In college, you were all over the nerdy guys!" The douche laughed, while backing away from Saeran slightly. Saeran saw the opportunity to use his creepy voice again, so he finally spoke up. "I don't think you should continue talking…" Saeran smiled and rolled up his shirt sleeve to show his tattoo off. "I'm part of a cult you see. I've invited my dear MC to it and she accepted. So, we are out today celebrating her initiation." Saeran's mint eyes bore into the other guy's as he said that. The guy's eyes widened and he ran off. MC started laughing as Saeran pulled his sleeve back down. "Thank you so much Saeran!" She said in-between laughs. "So… boyfriend huh? I never got the chance to ask!" Saeran feigned hurt, placing his hand over his heart to emphasize his fake pain. MC rolled her eyes and dragged him inside of the shop. They both ordered their usual ice cream and found a spot to sit outside.

The pair ate their ice cream in silence, simply enjoying each other's company. "Saeran… you meant it when you said you loved me last night… right?" MC asked suddenly. Saeran grabbed her hands and looked straight into her eyes. "MC, I have never known what love was. You managed to clear away the cobwebs and hurt in my heart, you showed me that love does exist, even though I haven't been shown any my entire life. I meant every word, both last night and now." Saeran explained while brushing his thumbs over her knuckles. MC's eyes filled with tears, not expecting that answer. "MC, I love you. Would you let me act on what you said earlier and let me become your boyfriend?" Saeran asked softly. MC's voice wasn't working, so all she could do was nod. Saeran sighed happily and pulled her into a tight hug. "Can we go home...? People are staring at us." He asked while standing up. MC nodded and they left their spot outside of the ice cream shop, hand in hand up until they got to MC's car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy we are getting closer to the angst. 
> 
> Happy chapter before shit goes down :')


	8. The Disappearance

**Chapter 8**

**Saeyoung's POV**

 

Saeyoung was typing in code into his computer when his phone chimed with a message from the RFA messenger. He glanced at the members in the chatroom; himself, MC, Zen, Yoosung, and Saeran. Messages flew by as the members talked about the party from the weekend and what gifts they were going to give MC since they had missed the chance at the party. Saeyoung dismissed the chat-room, watching it from the corner of his eye as he hacked. One message in particular caught his eye, turning his attention to the messenger.

 

_Saeran: I asked MC out today…_

_MC: Saeran I was going to tell that to them!_

_Zen: Babe~ I thought you were going to get with mee ;-;_

_Yoosung*: Congrats! You'll still help me with school right, MC?_

_MC: Of course Yoosung! Just because I'm dating Saeran doesn't mean that I'll stop helping you_

_Saeran: She may be late to helping though, her hugs are the best ;)_

_Zen: Now I'm jealous! Those hugs are only for me~ right MC?_

_707: Congrats you two._

_Saeran: The hugs are mine now Zen!_

_MC: Thank you Saeyoung._

_Yoosung: Seven! Where have you been?_

_707: I've been at my home. Why?_

_Yoosung: I've been calling you about the party, I didn't see you there..._

_707: I only went to talk to Saeran. I didn't stop to chat._

_Zen: How's your nose, Street Fighter_

_Saeran: Let's not talk about that._

_MC: Saeran we are still part of the RFA. We need to see how he's doing._

_707: Why do you care, Saeran. You did it to me anyways._

_MC: Boys. Stop. Now. This is not the place to argue._

_Saeran: Yes Ma'am_

_Yoosung: Well... It's time to study! See you guys later!_

_**Yoosung has left the chat-room** _

_Zen: I have to get ready for work. I got another lead role! Bye MC~_

_MC: Bye Zenny!_

_**Zen has left the chat-room** _

_707: I'm leaving too. I can't stand to be around my brother._

_Saeran: I can read this shit. Did you forget that?_

_MC: Stop arguing. You guys are worse than me and Jaehee when we just joke around._

_**MC has left the chat-room** _

_Saeran: We need to talk soon._

_707: NO._

_**707 has left the chat-room** _

_**Saeran has left the chat-room** _

 

Saeyoung pushed his phone away in disgust.  _They don't deserve to be happy together. Saeran doesn't deserve her._ Saeyoung cracked his knuckles and stared at the computer screens. Saeran got too much pleasure out of life, while Saeyoung had to live a life in secret. Saeyoung grabbed his phone and stared at a forbidden number. This phone call could mean the end of Saeran's happiness, was he ready to do that? Saeyoung gripped the phone tightly, took a deep breath, and dialed the number. "Hello?" The male voice said gruffly. "This is Saeyoung. I need your help to ruin Saeran." Saeyoung said while glaring at the floor. "How can we help?" The man asked again. "I need you to give me the means to take away his only source of happiness. I need to take MC out of the equation."

**Saeran's POV**

 

Saeran smiled and played with MC's hair, they were sitting together on the couch watching some cheesy romance movie. "Saeran, do you even like these movies?" MC asked while looking up at him. "Not really, but I'll endure them if you ask me to." Saeran chuckled while curling a strand of long, brown hair around his finger. MC sighed happily and closed her eyes. "What movies do you like? I can put anything on." She asked while grabbing the remote. "MC... the only movie I like is where it's just me and you..." Saeran said while winking at her. MC burst out laughing and lightly swatted his arm. "That was cheesier than the movie! You dork!" She said while giggling. Saeran grinned and placed a kiss on her cheeks. "Saeran, you never answered my question." Saeran heard her say as he showered her face with kisses. "Babe c'mon, you should know that I've never really watched movies. Mint Eye didn't come with Netflix." He muttered as he trailed his fingers down MC's sides. MC jumped and looked into Saeran's eyes. "That is dangerous territory, mister." She said while playfully glaring at him. Saeran smirked and dragged his fingers over her sides again, earning a laugh and a kick to the chest. "Ow! MC!" Saeran gasped as he held his chest. "I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" She cried out while Saeran rolled off the couch.

 

"My chest might've just gotten bruised but it still hurts!" Saeran feigned pain. The truth was, he couldn't feel the pain in his chest anymore. His body had grown so numb to pain over the years, the only reason it hurt when Saeyoung kicked him was just from the initial shock of the blow. MC scrambled off the couch and sat beside him, pawing at his shirt to check his bruises. Saeran started laughing, startling the poor girl. "Well MC, if you wanted me to strip for you, all you had to do was ask!" He laughed while playfully pulling his shirt up. MC glared at him and stood up, stomping off to her bedroom. "MC! Hey! I was kidding! MC-" He called out, getting cut off by the slamming of her bedroom door.  _Shit. I messed up. What to do to apologize..._ Saeran thought while getting up and brushing dirt off his back.  _Roses and chocolate. Got it._ Saeran guessed as he grabbed his shoes. "MC! I'm going out for a few. Don't be too mad at me please?" He called out from the front door. He heard a muffled response from MC's bedroom, he guessed it was her telling him to go away. Saeran left the apartment, closing the door softly behind him.

 

Saeran walked down to the lobby, waving at the woman at the front desk, before leaving the building. He pulled out his phone and called the RFA's resident romantic, Zen. "Saeran! How is my babe doing?" The actor asked. Saeran rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "She's mad at me. I was tickling her and she kicked me in the chest. So... I faked being hurt, then she stomped off to her bedroom and slammed the door." Saeran explained while walking to the nearest grocery store. "What do you mean faked it? Don't the bruises still hurt?" Zen asked. "No, they don't. I have a high pain tolerance. The only thing that hurt was the initial shock of getting kicked." He said while sighing. "Well, MC has a big heart. She might just be upset over the fact that you were in pain; fake or not." Zen explained, he really did know MC better than anyone else. Saeran thought for a moment, he hadn't even considered that. "I didn't think about that being the cause. I'm getting her some roses and chocolate to apologize. Do you have any other suggestions of what to give her?" Saeran asked while shifting his phone to his other hand. "You guys get ice cream every weekend right? How about grabbing her favorite flavor?" Zen suggested after muttering something to his coworker. "Good idea. Thanks, Zen." Saeran said while walking into the store. "No problem. Text me next time, I do still have to work!" The actor said before hanging up.

 

Saeran wandered around the store before quickly grabbing MC's favorite chocolate. He wanted to avoid the freezer section as much as he possibly could; he only had a thin shirt on, paired with his signature ripped jeans. Saeran sighed and braved the walk to the cold section, he could hear women giggling as he walked by.  _They are seriously giggling at the wrong person. I bet I could scare every one of them away._ He thought to himself while sticking his arm in the freezer. Saeran grabbed the cookie dough ice cream and tucked it under his arm. As he was walking to the floral area, a small hand tapped on his leg. Saeran looked down and saw a young girl, her large eyes were staring at his tattoo in curiosity. "Mister... What is on your arm?" The girl asked. Saeran crouched down and pulled his sleeve up to show her the entire piece. "This is a tattoo. It's what happens when lots of needles are loaded with ink and then drawn onto your skin." He tried to explain, the girl's small fingers traced over the harsh design. "Does it mean anything? If it goes into your skin it must mean something... right?" The girl asked, tracing the outline of the eye. "It's a reminder of my past..." Was all Saeran could say before the girl's mother grabbed her by the arm. "What did I tell you about running off?!" The mother scolded, nervously looking at Saeran and his tattoo. "She wasn't doing any harm, she just asked about my tattoo." He explained as the girl jumped up and down in pure excitement. "Momma, when I get older I want a tattoo! Just like this one!" She said while pointing at Saeran's arm. The mother winced and dismissed the child, tugging her away from Saeran. The girl reluctantly left, but not before asking one last question. "Mister tattoo! What's your name?" The girl was eager to know him. "It's Saeran Choi, remember me when you get your first tattoo, alright?" He said, smiling slightly. The girl nodded and skipped away with her mother.

 

Saeran smiled and shook his head, that child was the first one that wasn't scared of him.  _I never caught her name..._ He remembered as he looked behind him. The girl and her mother were nowhere to be seen. Saeran shrugged and walked over to the florals, the employee working looked eager to have a customer. "Hi! How may I help you today?" She asked while biting her lip. Saeran rolled his eyes and flashed a smile. "Hi... I'm looking for some red roses." He said while looking at the displays. "Oh! Follow me, they are right over here." The employee walked in front of Saeran, trying too hard to walk seductively. He shivered in disgust and held a hand to his mouth. "Here they are. Let me know if you need anything else." The girl winked and walked off, Saeran almost puked in his mouth. He shook his head and looked at the flowers. Most of them were already fully bloomed, brown stained the tips of the petals. Saeran sighed and looked for the freshest bouquet. After about five minutes of searching, he found the only bunch that weren't in the process of rotting. The roses were a deep red up until the color faded out to give the flowers white petal tips. Saeran quickly picked them up and walked over to the employee again. "Oh these are beautiful. May I ask who they are going to?" The girl leaned over the counter, trying to show off something that she didn't have. "They are going to my girlfriend. So, if you could stop trying to flirt with me and show off a body that you do not have, that would be wonderful." Saeran said sternly, shutting the employee down before she could do anything else mentally scarring. She scoffed and scanned his items, tossing them into a bag before handing it to him. Saeran paid and gave a sarcastic smile to her. "Have a nice day, I'm sure someone who is actually impressed by your flirting skills will be very happy with you someday." He shot at her before leaving the store.

 

Saeran walked home, checking his phone for any messages from MC. His phone was blank, which worried him a little bit. Saeran quickly made it to the apartment and ran up the stairs, was MC alright?  _What if something bad happened, just because I got her mad at me. Oh god, MC, please be alright, you always leave some sort of message whenever I leave the house!_ Saeran panicked when he saw the apartment door slightly ajar. He ran inside, tossing the bag on the couch. "MC! Are you home?" He called out, looking in the kitchen first. She wasn't there, so Saeran ran to his bedroom. Still nothing, he threw open the bathroom door; she wasn't there either. "MC! Please be in your bedroom, please!" Saeran cried as he placed his hand on the doorknob. After a few seconds of silence, he opened the door. MC wasn't in her bedroom, she wasn't in the house, at all.

 

On her bed laid a single note and the empty box that held her birthday dress. Saeran staggered over to her bed and tried to hold back tears.

 

_Saeran,_

_Your precious MC is with us in Paradise._

_Come back home to find her. You have 48 hours before we drug her and break her mind._

_The same thing we did with you, remember?_

_Better get here soon, your girlfriend is waiting for her monster._

_~ Mint Eye_

 

Saeran crumpled the note and fell to his knees. This was his worst nightmare come true. MC was gone, taken by Mint Eye; the same cult that turned him into a monster. Hot tears fell down his cheeks as he read the note again. She was gone, he had go back to that hell to get her. Saeran pulled out his phone and created a group call with Zen, Yoosung, Jaehee, and Jumin. After three rings, they all picked up. "Saeran, what's wrong?" Jaehee asked as she heard his sobs. Yoosung and Zen asked the same question, their concerns grew. "MC... Mint Eye... took her!" Saeran sobbed into the phone. Everyone in the call started talking all at once until Jumin's voice cut through the noise. "I'll contact V. Luciel is not to find out about this." He said sharply before hanging up the call. "I'll check with the traffic reports to see if they found anything unusual." Jaehee said confidently before leaving. "Yoosung and I will be over there soon, they must've left some sort of hint as to where they are, right?" Zen asked. "Yeah... a note." Saeran choked out, his voice was thick with tears. "We will be there soon. Hang in there Saeran!" Yoosung said before both him and Zen got off the call. Saeran curled up into a ball on the floor, tears still streaming out of his eyes.  _MC, stay safe for as long as you can. Wait for me._

 

_Oh Saeran, you never learn, do you? The women in your life will only cause pain. Your brother will not be nice with her. It'll be fun watching you suffer, my son._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit has started to go down :^)


	9. The Monster Has Been Unleashed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where it gets kinda dark so Violence warning

**Chapter 9**

**MC's POV**

 

MC groaned, her head was pounding and she couldn't see more than a few feet in front of her. She brought her hand up to the side of her head and felt something wet. She pulled her hand away and saw the reddish tint of blood on her fingers. MC looked around frantically, her feet kicked up dust, causing her to cough. "Hello?" She called out after the coughing fit had stopped. The silence refused to give an answer, but the shuffling from the other end of the room let her know that someone was there. MC stood up slowly, her pounding head made the room spin; so, she collapsed back down to the ground. Small pebbles dug into her knees as she felt the ground for something. Her hand connected with a smooth object, her eyes adjusted and saw a familiar boot. "MC… How nice it is to see you." The voice said softly, there was a poison just barely detectable in those words. "Seven…? Is that you?" MC asked, trying to stand up again. "I wouldn't stand up if I were you. That head wound could get worse." He said while pressing his thumb into where the pounding originated. MC cried out and fell to the ground, her teeth clicked together as her chin hit the ground. "Where am I? Where's Saeran!" MC spat at the red-head. He chuckled darkly and crouched down to look at her. "I don't think my brother is coming to save you. Last, I saw, he was still crying in your bedroom. He looked so torn up to see his precious MC gone. Especially after he had gone out his way to apologize to you with roses. How sweet, a romance foiled by tragedy." Saeyoung laughed and grabbed MC by the chin. His nails dug into her skin as he inspected her, smirking to himself. "Fuck off! You don't even know your brother!" MC hissed while trying to pull away from his grip. Saeyoung threw her down to the floor in disgust, kicking up sand as he stood up. "You think that you know him?! Saeran is no person, he can't feel things. He is a monster! What will it take for you to see that?!" Saeyoung screamed at her. MC flinched and shifted into a sitting position. "He may have made mistakes before but at least he's trying to fix them! You haven't done shit to help either him or yourself! All you do is hide behind the computer screen, ignoring all of your problems!" MC yelled back at him. His face contorted into a sneer and he grabbed a fist full of her hair, yanking her up to him. MC cried out in pain and clawed at Saeyoung's hand, tears pricking her eyes.

 

"Saeran will never come and get you. The sooner you come to terms with that, the sooner you can get out of here. Refuse to accept that, and the people here will give you the same treatment that they gave Saeran." Saeyoung hissed before throwing MC on the ground again. MC glared up at him, tears were freely falling now. Saeyoung made a noise of disgust and walked out of the room, muttering something to someone else that was in the room. A strange pair of shoes walked up to MC and picked her up, carrying her out of the room. She kicked and screamed, but the person held her tightly, refusing to let her go. Her screams could be heard through the corridors and other cells. She was in Mint Eye, the heart of all the disaster that had occurred.

 

**Saeran's POV**

 

Twenty-four hours had passed too quickly. Saeran's throat was raw from crying and screaming. His face was pale, his eyes dull. He heard a knock on the door and slowly got up. His joints screamed in protest, Saeran had spent the past day curled up on MC's bedroom floor. He heard the door open as he stepped out of her bedroom, the RFA members had entered the house. "Saeran! Are you alright?" Jaehee asked as she rushed towards him. Saeran held his hand out and gripped onto the doorframe, not looking any of them in the eye. "She's gone. It's all my fault, I made her mad at me and… and now she's gone!" Saeran cried as he fell to his knees. Jaehee crouched down with him and rubbed his back, trying to comfort the grieving boy. "We have to go find her!" Yoosung chimed while tugging at his hair. Zen sighed and rubbed his temples. "Where was Mint Eye's headquarters before?" Jumin asked while leaning on the wall. "In the mountains. It was a white building with an eye on it." Saeran muttered while leaning into Jaehee. The woman hugged him and kept rubbing his back. "They would have moved locations after being found out. Where is the next most secluded spot that you can think of?" Jumin asked again, his cold eyes staring at Saeran. Zen was the first one to speak up. "A warehouse? It would be large enough to hold whatever they needed to." The suggestion worked, but all the warehouses in the area were in the city. "How about a beach?" Yoosung muttered quietly. Saeran perked up and stared at the blonde. "The beach. I heard something about that once." He said as he pulled away from Jaehee. Jumin watched Saeran and pulled out his phone. "I'm going to call anyone I know who owns a property near or on the beach. I'll tell them to look for either a sports car or an unfamiliar vehicle." He said as he dialed a number. Jumin left the apartment to go talk, while the other three members went into MC's room to look for some sort of hint.

 

"All they left was this note. They want me to go back…" Saeran whispered while sitting on the floor in front of her bed. Zen looked at the empty dress box on the bed and noticed some sort of sand in it. "Saeran, there's sand in here." Zen said as he sifted through it. Saeran stood up and observed the sand, something about it tugged at his memory. "I feel like this is a scavenger hunt…" Saeran muttered as he tried to pinpoint the memory. His mind wandered back to when Mint Eye had first contacted him, he was on a beach with V and Rika. "The beach where they first contacted me. That's where they want me to go first." Saeran said as he stood up quickly. Jumin walked into the bedroom and nodded. "Someone did mention seeing a sports car go to a beach and drop off something under a tree. We should get moving now." The businessman said before walking out of the apartment.

 

The RFA members walked out of the building and got into Jumin's car. Jaehee stuck close to Saeran, she knew that if anything happened to him, MC would never forgive her. Saeran leaned against the window as the car drove off, headed towards the beach from his memories. He eventually dozed off, everyone else remained quiet so that he could sleep. His sleep however; was anything but peaceful.

 

_Saeran was in the cell again, the screams of others going through the same drug process echoed in his ears. One scream in particular called to him. Her voice was laced with pain, the drugs must be rejecting her body. Saeran stood up and walked to the cell door. He pushed on the door and watched as it opened, almost inviting him to inspect the scream. Saeran walked down the dark and damp corridors, the scream grew louder. His mind clicked, the voice belonged to MC. He ran down the halls, the other shrieks and moans blurred together. She was the only thing that mattered, he would not let her get hurt. Once he reached the door that her screams were emanating from, his body froze. What would be behind that door? Would she be near death? Saeran couldn't move as the door opened, showing MC on the ground. Her dress was torn to ribbons, bruises laced her legs and arms. Her hair was caked with dirt, her eyes were dull. The hazel orbs that he had loved were now a dark brown, no life was held in them. MCs mouth opened and the words that came out of her mouth shook Saeran to the core. "Why did you leave me to die, Saeran? Why?" The voice wasn't hers. It was a hollow shell of what her voice used to be. "WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHWHYWHYWHYWHY!" The voice screamed at him. Saeran tried to back away, but his legs were frozen in one spot. The shell of what MC used to be crawled over to him, it's dead eyes staring directly into his soul._

 

Saeran jumped awake and gripped his chest. It was just a nightmare, nothing more. His breaths were shaky as he stared out the window. Jaehee placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort the younger boy. Zen and Yoosung were arguing over which of Zen's selfies were better. Jumin was typing on his phone, most likely making sure that his cat was taken care of for the night. Jaehee had dozed off, her hair tickled Saeran's shoulder. The white-haired boy sighed and pulled out his phone. He went to his gallery, looking through the pictures of MC that he had collected. His favorite picture was of one where she was sleeping. Her hair was fanned out on his arm, lips curled up into a small smile. Saeran winced when he thought about his nightmare and put the phone away.

 

Outside the window, the day had faded into a bright sunset. How could something so beautiful, come out of a day filled with so much pain? Saeran figured that it was the world playing a cruel trick on him. The car made a hard stop, jolting Jaehee awake. The woman rubbed her eyes and looked around. "Are we there?" Zen asked while reaching for his fallen phone. Jumin nodded and stopped messing with his phone. The car door opened, Yoosung was the first one to jump out. Zen and Jaehee followed after the blonde. Jumin left before Saeran, leaving him to his thoughts.  _What if she looks exactly like the MC in my nightmare?_ Saeran thought to himself. The nightmare had shaken him up more than he cared to admit. As Saeran stepped out of the vehicle, memories hit him like a tidal wave. This beach was the last place that he was truly happy before Mint Eye started the drug treatments. "Alright, we all need to search around for something that could belong to MC or Saeran. Look mainly under trees, focus on the ones right up against the sand." Jumin ordered once he saw everyone. They all nodded and went off in separate directions.

 

After an hour of searching, frustrated sighs could be heard from everyone. "Nothing is here! Is there a building somewhere near here?" Yoosung whined as he sat down in the sand. Zen sat next to him, taking his silver hair down from its usual ponytail. "What now?" Jaehee asked, clearly disappointed that they didn't find anything. Jumin shrugged and leaned against a tree. Saeran crouched down and ran his fingers through the sand.  _That's it. Comb the sand._  He thought while quickly looking up. Saeran grabbed a branch from a tree and dragged it in the sand behind him. "What are you doing?" The RFA members asked as they watched him. "I'm combing the sand. Just leaving something in plain sight for me to see is not what Mint Eye does. One of the training sessions, hide things in plain sight." Saeran muttered. He kept dragging the branch along until it hit something solid.  _Bingo._ He waved the others over and told them to start digging.

 

Underneath the sand was a small box, barely large enough to hold a phone. Saeran shook the box gently, the object inside hit the sides. He opened the box and choked on his tears. It was MC's phone, a large blood stain was on the screen. Saeran dropped the box and walked away, she was hurt. After a few seconds, he walked back over and picked up the device. It turned on, the battery still at full charge. There was an unopened message from an unknown number. Saeran pressed it, wincing as he touched the blood.

 

_Saeran. If you are reading this, then that means you have found her phone. I'll let you guess where she is before telling you..._

_Mint Eye headquarters. The same one in the mountains, the same one where you were held._

Saeran glared at the phone, he knew exactly who sent the message. He was about to throw the phone when a message chimed in.

_Unknown Number: Hello Saeran_

_MC (Saeran): Saeyoung._

_Unknown Number: You are quick to catch on. She's been screaming for you. I think they have started the drugging process already._

_MC: You sick fuck._

_Unknown Number: Now now, if you keep acting like that, I'll just have to mess up her pretty face even more._

The phone chimed with a picture message. The image was of MC, but she looked terrible. Her hair was tangled up, her dress was torn to ribbons. Her face was covered in small cuts and bruises, dirt caked her arms and legs. Bruises traveled up and down her limbs, giving evidence that she had struggled. Another image chimed in, this time it was a close up of her face. MC's normally bright hazel eyes, were now a dull brown. She looked like she had gotten beaten to a pulp. Saeran growled at the phone and was about to type a message to his brother when the final picture chimed in.

 

Saeyoung had sent a selfie of himself with MC. Her eyes were filled with hate as Saeyoung's fingers pulled her lips into a fake smile. The red-head's eyes were filled with a sadistic pleasure, he was enjoying hurting her. Saeran threw the phone and screamed. The RFA members backed away from him when they saw his gold eyes go black. The sweet and caring Saeran no longer existed, what was in his place was a monster. Saeran walked to Jumin's car, snapping at the others to follow him.

 

_Saeyoung Choi. I hope you are prepared to meet mother, because_ _**I will kill you** _ _if you lay another finger on her._

 

The monster that had replaced Saeran was the one Mint Eye had implanted into him. A creature fueled on pure rage and hate. Nothing could stop it, not even the RFA members. Whatever was about to go down at Mint Eye would not end until blood was shed.


	10. The End of All Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Major violence warning

 

 

**Saeran's POV**

Saeran's body was on autopilot. His inner monster took over, he couldn't do anything to stop it. Saeran floated in his mind, his memories swirled around him.  _Why can't I control myself?_  He asked himself. There was no answer, just silence. He saw a figure dart away, it seemed vaguely familiar. "Hello...?" Saeran called out. Again, he was met with silence.

_Saeran, we finally meet again._

He knew that voice, it was his mother. Saeran turned around, expecting to see her. Instead, all Saeran saw was a mirror image of himself. "You are the demon that keeps poisoning my mind?" He asked, shocked at what he saw. The mirror image nodded then cocked it's head to the side, giving Saeran a toothy grin.

_You always thought it was your mother. At least part of you knew that the real demon was inside yourself._

Saeran stared into it's eyes, his golden eyes met black. There was no life to the mirror image, it looked like a nightmare come true. "What's going on? I can't control my body." Saeran said while trying to back away. The mirror image came closer and dragged a sharp nail down his cheek.

_I am in charge. You are a creature fueled by hate and rage, nothing can get to you. Not even the girl._

Saeran looked to his right and saw the MC from his nightmares. Her hellish look matched his mirror image. "That's not the real MC. That is just a nightmare..." Saeran's voice cracked in fear as the nightmare MC came closer. Her twisted fingers grabbed his ankles and tugged, causing Saeran to fall to the ground. His mirror image cackled and vanished, leaving him with this living nightmare. Saeran screamed, his voice echoed in his own mind. "Get off me! You aren't real!" He cried while trying to kick her hands off. The clawed fingers scraped at his skin, drawing blood. She had him in an iron grip, her empty eyes reminded him of all his past fears. Saeran kept screaming, his voice quickly going hoarse.

_Scream all you want Saeran._ _**I Am In Control.** _

**The Monster's POV**

His face curled up into a deadly smirk. He was out for blood, Saeyoung's blood. He could feel the RFA member's eyes on him as he drove. They wouldn't understand how weak Saeran was, they never have. The only thing that He could do to break Saeran down, was create a nightmare of the one thing he held most precious. When the hellish MC was created, He could feel Saeran's will breaking at the seams. When He put the nightmare to work, that's when He slipped in and slowly took control. That girl had broken down years of work in just a few days, so He wanted her blood as well.

The RFA members tried to talk to Him, however; all they got was silence. The silver-haired actor tried to touch Him, which earned the man a glare. His black eyes burned into His surroundings. In the back of His mind, He could feel Saeran grasping for freedom. To stop this, He sent more hellish versions of the things Saeran held dear to him. Saeran kept screaming, distracting Him from His objective.

_If you do not stop yelling._ _**I WILL KILL HER** _

Saeran shut up, He knew that would silence His weaker self. They arrived at Mint Eye, He knew exactly where to go. Something inside stopped Him however; He felt... scared.

_Saeran's POV_

Saeran had used the last of his strength to make the monster stop. The nightmare versions of MC and the other RFA members clawed at his legs, opening up cuts. Blood streamed from his legs, causing Saeran to cry out and fall on the ground. The nightmares took his arms and scratched his shirt off. Saeran's past scars stood out against his skin, causing the nightmares to pause for a second. The hellish version of MC made clicking noises with her throat before opening her mouth. Inside were rows of long, sharp teeth; they looked like needles that jutted out from her gums. The other nightmares made the same clicking noise before grabbing giant thorns from the ground.

The first thorn went through his shoulder, pinning his left side to the ground. Saeran cried out in pain and tried to struggle. That's when the next thorn pierced his right shoulder, immobilizing his torso. Hot tears flowed down his cheeks as he screamed bloody murder. The nightmares stabbed two more thorns into his legs. Saeran couldn't move, blood stained his pale skin and hair. He couldn't endure this torture for much longer. Saeran screamed one last time before his vision went black.

**MC's POV**

MC spit blood onto Saeyoung's shoes, earning another smack to her face. "He is NOT coming for you!" Saeyoung growled. MC grimaced as she shifted to a sitting position, glaring at her attacker. "He's on his way now. Saeran wouldn't leave me in your hands." She spat. Saeyoung's face went red, but before he could hit her again, one of the Mint Eye members walked into the dusty room. "She needs a stronger dose. We need that determination to crumble!" The person said while showing Saeyoung a large needle. He shook his head and slapped it out of their hand. The needle just happened to roll towards MC, so she quickly grabbed it. Saeyoung was too busy yelling at the cult member to notice that MC was slowly crawling towards the door. Once she made it to the door, she shakily stood up and ran. MC ran down the twisting hallways towards the exit, where she bumped into someone.

**It was Saeran...**

**His POV**

She had ran into Him. The girl that kept His weaker side alive, was standing right in front of Him. "Saeran! Oh my god! I've been waiting for you!" MC cried happily as she hugged Him. He didn't return the gesture, the smell of blood was intoxicating. He smiled and tilted her face up to look into His black eyes.  **"I am Not Saeran."**  He said before wiping the blood off her lips with His thumb. "Saeran... what do you mean?" MC asked while backing away. He smirked, seeing her terrified was beautiful. He cackled and took a strand of her hair between His fingers.  **"Saeran was weak. He is buried in the back of my mind, getting tortured by his fears. You are one of them."** He said before walking off. MC gripped the syringe of drugs tightly and ran towards the exit again.

" **Saeyoung Choi. Saeran's other weak link. We finally meet."** He said when He finally found where the twin was hiding.  **"We need to have a chat. I assure you, it will end with blood being spilt on this floor."**

_MC's POV_

MC kept running, her lungs burning. Whatever she had met back there was not the Saeran she knew.  _It reminds me of his monstrous side that came out when he punched Saeyoung._  She thought while sprinting through the exit. "MC!" She heard Jaehee call. The women ran towards each other, MC ran right into a rib-crushing hug from her best friend. "MC! You're alive!" Zen and Yoosung cried while bringing her into a huge bear hug. Jumin joined in the group hug once things had calmed down a bit. "Saeran, he's still in there!" MC cried while frantically waving to the building behind her. "MC, I do not think that the male in there is Saeran." Jumin grumbled quietly. She looked at the business-man, tears pricking at her eyes. "Then who the hell was it?! It's eyes were black but that was Saeran. We have to go help him!" She cried while walking back towards the building. Zen grabbed her arms and held her back. "Let me go! I need to go help him!" MC screamed while struggling against his tight grip. MC started sobbing, slowly sinking down to her knees.

The building was silent for 20 minutes before the gunshot was heard.

**BANG**

One shot went off, filling the empty silence.

**BANG BANG**

Two more went off, the RFA members were frozen.

**BANG**

The final shot went off. The area was silent. No one moved a muscle, not even MC.

They all waited for someone to walk out of the building. No one did, not even the cult members of Mint Eye. None of the RFA members were brave enough to walk into the building to see what happened. Until MC stood up, the syringe fell out of her hands, her eyes were filled with tears. She walked towards the silent building.

**Saeran's POV**

**Twenty Minutes Ago.**

His hands twitched as his vision cleared. Saeran was no longer pinned down by his nightmares or thorns. The areas where they had been stabbed into were fully healed, his legs were no longer cut up. Saeran couldn't hear his mirror image's voice anymore. He thought that he was free, that was... until he saw the scene in front of him.

His body still wasn't under his control. His hand held a pistol, aimed at the person Saeyoung was yelling at. His fingers squeezed the trigger, shooting the person directly between the ribs. His brother looked at him in fear, the bloodlust in Saeran's eyes was obvious. Saeran's mirror image made his finger squeeze the trigger again. Saeran panicked and tried to get his arm to move. It did, but the bullet went through Saeyoung's thigh.

**DO NOT FUCK THIS UP WEAKLING**

Saeran cried out as his wounds slowly returned, the coppery smell of blood filled his nose. The mirror image aimed at Saeyoung's head, but with the last of his strength, Saeran made his body move. His fingers squeezed the trigger and the bullet flew out of the chamber. It struck the ground next to Saeyoung. The red-head was terrified for his own life, so he kicked Saeran.

His body hit the ground and his twin brother scrambled for the gun. Once he got it, Saeyoung aimed it directly between Saeran's eyes.  **"You wouldn't dare! You can't kill me!"** The mirror image cackled. Saeyoung's hands shook as he cocked the pistol.  _Saeyoung please don't do this..._ Saeran thought as his vision went blurry. The mirror image kept laughing, taunting the twin.

_Saeyoung squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath._

Two gunshots could be heard from outside.

_He opened his eyes again and stared at the monster that called itself his brother._

No one moved, the air was still.

_Saeyoung wrapped his fingers around the trigger, silently praying for forgiveness._

Nothing moved outside. There was no wind. The members were frozen in their spots.

_He squeezed the trigger. Sending off the third and final gunshot._

Saeran's vision went black, the last thing he saw was MC. Her smiling face comforted him as pain blossomed between his eyes. This was his ending. He should have known that there were no happy endings for people like him. He whispered goodbye to the image of her face as his eyes closed.

Saeran Choi, the twin brother of Saeyoung, lover of MC, the monster of Mint Eye finally got his ending.

**The Bad Ending.**

**MC's POV**

**Current time**

MC numbly walked down the corridors, she knew where the gunshots came from. As she turned the corner, the stench of blood smacked her in the face. MC had no tears left, everything was numb. She walked into the room where she was held captive. The gruesome scene was burned into her brain until the end of time. The Mint Eye member that she stole the syringe from was dead, blood pooled under them. Saeyoung was shaking, a pistol in his hands, and tears streaming down his face.

MC choked back a sob when she saw Saeran's body, lifeless on the ground. His blood had spread underneath Saeyoung, indicating what he had done. "You... How could you?!" MC screeched, diving for Saeyoung's face, nails first. She sobbed as she hit his chest, the pain of losing Saeran was unbearable. MC screamed and backed away from Saeran's lifeless body, still in shock over his death.

The other RFA members came running in and starting crying at the sight. This would be the second member that they would have to bury. Zen and Jaehee grabbed MC, who kicked and screamed. "NO! He's going to get up! He has to!" MC sobbed as she was taken away from the scene. No one spoke to Saeyoung as they left.

Jumin called his personal guards, asking them to swiftly clean up what had happened. MC sobbed a request for the guards to not throw away Saeran's body, she had to bury it properly. None of the RFA members could speak, they couldn't comfort each other. They took MC and drove her back to her apartment, understanding that she needed space.

Once home, MC ran into his room, half expecting him to be there. The silence of the apartment was back, she was truly alone again. She pulled his shirts from the closet and tossed them on his bed. She laid down on the shirts, they still smelled like him. MC sobbed once again, clinging to the shirts that he left.

Her phone eventually got replaced, all of the pictures of him got transfered from her old phone. MC numbly looked at them, his laughter echoed off the empty walls. Zen and Jaehee stopped by everyday, attempting to cheer her up. MC wouldn't eat more than a few bites of food every so often. She didn't leave his room, if she left it would feel like seeing his lifeless body all over again.

**A new chat-room has opened**

_Zen: Has anyone heard from MC? The funeral is today._

_Jaehee: She will be attending later._

_Yoosung: Is she okay? I heard that being around people really scared her._

_Jumin: She is still coping with the loss of her lover. She will likely be grieving for a long time._

_Zen: I really hope that she shows up with the rest of us._

_Jaehee: We cannot force her. She is the one who is in the most pain._

_707: ..._

_Yoosung: I have to go pick up my clothes. See you guys at the service..._

**Yoosung has left the chat-room**

_Zen: You have some nerve showing up here Seven._

_707: I'm going to the service, then leaving. The RFA is better without me, and so is this city._

**707 has left the chat-room**

_Jaehee: I need to go coax MC to eat something before I get to the service. Excuse me_

_Jumin: I'm on my way now_

**Jaehee has left the chat-room**

**Jumin has left the chat-room**

_Zen: MC... If you are reading this, I'm truly sorry for your loss. I hope that once your heart heals you can come back to your friends and family here._

**Zen has left the chat-room**

**MC has entered the chat-room**

_MC: Please don't ask me to come back once I'm healed. A wound like this will not heal. Thank you for letting me be part of this organization, but I have to leave. Traces of him are everywhere, I send texts that don't get answered. Its reminding me that he is truly gone. Goodbye everyone, you will still see me around, just not in the RFA._

**MC has left the chat-room**

**MC has left the RFA**

**707 has left the RFA**


End file.
